The Mage, The Slayer, and The Dragonborn
by dannykielder
Summary: Set 2 years after the attack from Helgen, a young sorceress from a faraway country set foot on Skyrim. Watch as her adventures slowly unfold with the encounter of a Farm boy from Rorikstead, and the legendary Dragonborn with a sealed fate.
1. To Skyrim

**I do not own Bethesda's characters and mostly everything in this story, but the story's protagonist is purely my idea and mine alone.**

* * *

The cool breeze swayed to a passing ship. It's as if the wind itself is guiding the way to its destination. The ship slowly closed in to the port. The wind pushed softly on the sails; it was rocking to and fro. This situation was not true inside the cabin walls though. The dank air inside the closed room where a person was staying made the temperature hot. The small storage room was filled with crates and barrels and a small net perched on the ends of the wall. It was worn as if it was used as a bed. Then, there was a table with a woman writing something on paper.

"_… As of today, I have set foot on Skyrim. I decided to go on ship, since travelling on mountainous regions was too tiring and required a lot of my energy to spend. It may be possible to find hidden mysteries in this country, which may help me in my pilgrimage to learn the Way of Magic…"_

She continued writing a few final words then put down the ink. She let out a sigh as she slumped on her chair. After a few moments, she heard a knocking on the door. She turned around to see who it was. The door slowly screeched as it opened. It was a redguard man. He signaled something to her as if he needed her on the deck. She then scrunched up the paper into the satchel.

"Ah, I see." her tone became low; "I'll be on my way." She put on her hood, hiding her face in the process.

She followed the redguard into the hall. No one was bringing up a conversation while walking to the upper floor. All they hear was the _thump_ they are making when stepping on the floor. Then, they finally reached the deck. The cool wind sank into her body. She closed her eyes and felt the wind and the air after a couple of days of hiding in the voyage. She opened her eyes again, and stared blankly into space. He glanced at the cloaked lady. She was wearing a robe, a typical garment worn by someone who deals with magic. Some of her hair was sticking out the hood, making her golden hair visible. He reckoned she'd be of Nordic descent. What's got him thinking was why would she be hiding her identity in her own homeland? Although it is true that few Nords (or hardly there are ever) used arcane magic in battle, isn't it forbidden for some reason? His thoughts became more and rattled that he just began to remove his questions on his head.

"Imperials may pose you as a wayward. It can be difficult for you to pass through them without getting noticed." The Redguard was waiting for a reply. Still, no response. "…You know, this is a trade ship filled with Redguards." She blinked a few times and regained her state.

"Don't worry, if it comes to that…" She paused, bent her face down. She felt worried. Still not looking at the redguard.

"Look, after everything you've done to me so far, I really thank you for it. I wouldn't even be here without your help." She finally looked at him. "Don't worry, I've got a plan if it fails."

The redguard suddenly chuckled.

"It was all for a hefty amount of septims. This is a TRADE ship after all."

The ship already ported. Lots of the crewmen started to unpack everything. There were a lot of crates and sacks of who-knows-what being delivered to the the proprietor of those goods. There was a big sign that said:

_East Empire Company_

She has heard of it. Back when she was at Morrowind. It was one of the most prestigious trading guilds found in Tamriel. _Sigh._ And this is where she has to put through. There were a lot of soldiers opening the crates, inspecting its contents. Maybe they were finding Moon Sugar or Skooma. This makes the entire thing difficult. What else matters? She simply can't walk by. No, she had no choice.

The woman started to hide her hand and a purple whirl of energy flowed through it. After a few moments, while the people are bustling about, she suddenly vanished. No one noticed.

* * *

A soldier was inspecting a crate. He shuffles through the contents. Ales, Rums, Wines, All imported from Stros M'kai. He took a bottle out, opened it, and then drank almost half of it.

"Sir! This is premium rum from Hammerfell! You just can't drink it all up!" The redguard trader complained.

"Bah! This is on Skyrim land now!" He smashed the bottle into shattered pieces. He laughed so hard he almost humiliated the dark-skinned trader.

With all the commotion going on, the soldier was tapped by a person.

"Huh?" He looked back. He was staring at a young Nordic woman. Her skin was covered by a lot of the robe and garments, but it would be easy to tell that she has one of the palest skins he ever encountered. As if pervertedly, he stared at her from bottom-up. It was until she began to speak up.

"Excuse me, but can you point the path to the nearest town? Solitude, I presume."

"Obviously a traveler." He mumbled. He then pointed up to the wall-covered structure and a big castle overlooking the sea.

"Now go, and leave me to my drink." He snatched up another one of those premium rums. The merchant was about to complain, but the soldier stared at him with an intimidating presence. To which, she left them alone.

She turned her back. She breathed out a sigh of relief. It was a close call. She then marched away from the port. She felt succeeded in her attempt with her escape. Of course, she has to know where the closest town would be. Now she will find no more trouble at the very least.

Following the stony path, she reached Solitude in no time at all. The walls stood up so high, she has to look up almost to the sky. There was a big gate that possibly serves as the only way in and out of the city. She asked permission to let her in. With a couple of inspections, the door slowly opened, revealing a very huge crowd that had gathered upon her entry. It was obviously not for her – but for something else.

She entered the crowd, looking to what they're facing.


	2. Night At The Winking Skeever

_Middas, 3__rd__ day in Hearthfire, 4E 203_

There was a large gathering, large enough to be called a crowd, they were cursing, yelling, much to their content.

"_Blasphemer_!"

"_Stormcloak Spy!"_

"_Kill him! Kill him_!"

A man almost already beaten to death; blood all over his tunic, was staged in front of everybody.

The woman clad in black garments of robe, holding her satchel so tight, watched heavily at the scene.

_This is inhuman._

There was nothing she can do. If she were to stand up there, her safety might be compromised. It was not because of her being a foreigner, but she knows that this land bear little patience on magicians and would-be sorcerers. They do not take lightly of the image of a Nord woman who would be interested in this kind of absurdity.

A man, who wore leather armor, almost as if he was an officiated person in this region, hushed the crowd by raising his hand.

"Today, a Stormcloak graciously offered his presence here with us today. A spy, who gathered a lot of information regarding Imperial status, was sending a message to the king traitor himself by courier. Luckily, we managed to intercept the courier and found out that this man deceived our very eyes!"

The crowd booed and hissed at the traitor.

"_Kill Him!"_

"_Damn Stormcloaks!"_

Huge voices of the crowd overlapped each other, almost creating one big scrambled noise. The officer then calmed down the audience again.

"Of course, with every treason, there is judgement. He is guilty for the crime he had committed on the Empire. And your judgement is…" He raised his hand again, higher this time.

The rugged man, a redguard to be precise (much different than the one she'd met), lifted his axe.

This is a sight that could not be seen by her naked eyes. It's not of poor justification, but she just couldn't withstand the horror of a death being this gruesome.

But she couldn't stand it. She believes that even if he was proven traitor, He is still a human being and should be tried to face a less horrible punishment.

She hurried forward thinking to herself: _I can! I can stop this!_

As if in slow motion, the axe moved slowly downward.

She reached for the Nord, thinking she could stop this madness, but in reality, he was too far away. The Nord caught a glimpse of the woman who was coming his way, but he was bound. He couldn't do anything about it. He just bowed down to accept his fate.

"Sto-"

* * *

It was a gloomy night in the tavern, or at the very least, for her. She entered a nearby inn to take a break from it all.

_The Winking Skeever_

Not many were staying in to rest tonight, and to be honest, it was already twilight. Still, a couple of people were drinking their ale and enjoying the beautiful snow-haired Breton's tune. Her name was Lisette. She caught up by the name when two men were swooning over her.

"Sorex, bring this to the woman over there."

The plate consists of a piece of bread, sliced cheese, and a pair of apples. Sorex Vinius placed it in the table in front of the woman.

"Father told me you ordered this."

"Thank you. Here are the septims." She gave the man a few coins, and then she put the apples in her satchel.

The man felt concerned. More so curious about her almost memorable face. He couldn't put his finger on it, until he snapped his fingers in enlightenment.

"Wait." The Imperial paused. "You. Are you that woman who almost made a ruckus earlier?" He grinned, almost chuckling if it wasn't for her distressed look on her face.

She was not as astonished as when she caused a commotion. . The people started to get confused because she was not known in the town, but voiced up an incomplete word. It was actually loud enough to slay the crowd's temper. Everybody stared at her. Unfortunately, she was too late. No one can help it. She covered her mouth in horror, and ran the opposite direction. They became suspicious, and gossip of her conspicuous behaviour spread like wildfire. Even Sorex was in the crowd at that time.

"By any chance, can I at least know your name?"

"You're not going to turn me to the guards, are you?"

"By the looks of it, I do not believe you to be a traitor at all. You must have lived a noble life to see not an ounce of harshness. You were just as innocent as a newborn."

He was definitely wrong. But, amidst the situation, she tried to make the story as a good excuse for her to be here. He grabbed a chair and sat right across of her.

"Elsa."

"A fine name. But a tongue I'm not familiar with."

"I was originally from Morrowind, from the far east. My family has set up trading here in Skyrim."

She knew she had to lie about the second part.

"Ah. So you are new here." He felt convinced. She simply nodded. There was an awkward pause after that. She then broke the quiet air.

"Listen." She then huddled herself. This time, her tone became soft. She felt that her next set of words will be a bit uneasy for the young barkeep to break down.

"I maybe going out of terms here but, there is a place where a person can study magic. It was a prominent place, but I heard rumours that it was almost abandoned by many practitioners."

Sorex began to blurt out what he was going to say. He thought if it was a joke. It was far less than what Elsa had expected, but at least he understood quickly; most probably a better response than any other person if she were to ask them.

"Pff- Are you really serious, lass?" He said. Elsa nodded again.

"Hmph. Such a maiden like you cannot wield a sword, let alone magic. You truly are better to hold the business your family intended you to do."

She felt insulted. If she were to smack the table out of anger, she would've done so, but it would attract a lot of attention. She already build up a lot of it during the day. Instead, she tried to control her temper by clenching her fists tightly.

"Well then, are you going to tell me or not? Speak, or I shall leave." There was a sudden pause. She became serious about the issue. Her eyes were not lying.

"Since you put it that way… It's in the northern regions called Winterhold. Almost to the mountains. It's close to… Windhelm. The traitor king's stead." He said.

She vaguely remembered something about a traitor. She went to that topic so it would not remind him of the previous one. Of course, she wanted to avoid suspicion of what her true goals were. And one of which was to reach that mage's guild.

"A traitor king?"

Sorex nodded.

"Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak. He was the cause of this civil war. I fail to see a day where people were safe…"

He suddenly paused. It was best not to continue the conversation. He just looked away.

The bard started her song, something to break the silence. She strung a tune in her lute. It was actually soothing. Her humming voice was peaceful enough that a few men who were drinking their ale were dazed by the sound.

The lyrics weren't familiar with Elsa. It might be too difficult for her to remember the song because she was just lulled. The talented bard went on with her words. She then said a word that shocked her to her hypnosis. She heard a powerful word that both homelands know. In actuality, that title was one of the most famous in the world of Tamriel.

_Dragonborn._

She was somehow fazed while watching the bard play her lute.

"Dragonborn? So, the legends are true."

"Aye. Rumours say that He is going to slay Alduin the World Eater soon."

"Alduin? The dragon? So…" She was dumbfounded.

"Aye again lass. Dragons. I've seen them with my own eyes." Sorex was not surprised by the newcomer's reaction. He was also in that dumbfounded situation when he also was first told by dragons. He didn't elaborate much on the history of his first encounter with a dragon.

That was actually the end of their conversation because he has to attend the others. Although their last remark from each other was a trade of septims for a room for the night.

It was a rough day for the would-be mage. It was a great ordeal for her to bear on her first day in Skyrim. She had almost broken down with everything that has happened. Instead of continually dragging herself down, she tried to remember one of the teachings her master used to say.

_Only to find great experience was to accept whatever comes in her way, and deal with it with her own wit._

At least, that's what his master would say.

She buried the thought and lied into bed. It took a couple of turns in the bed to get her to sleep. To dream, that someday, she could change the fate of a lot of people and also save them from this treacherous place.

Or at least, that's what her dreams would say.

* * *

_Authors Note : Roggvir wasn't the one who died in the execution scene. _


	3. A True Mage

The town of Solitude was still bustling about, as if the whole incident yesterday never happened. Unfortunately though, what she did was still embedded on their minds. There were eyes staring at Elsa the moment she stepped out of the tavern. She did not pay attention though. Her new journey awaits. She was hoping to be welcomed by this country with exhilaration and adventure, only to be awarded with petty illegal crossing and causing a façade in the town square. While she entered the sunlight, a friendly gesture appeared in front of her. He was a bit old; he was showing off his white hair and bald head.

"Fellow traveller! Might I interest you in a little proposition for your safety outside these walls?" He felt grand and was confident for an adventure.

"Safety?"

"Aye. The name's Belrand. You see, I'm a sellsword. Judging by the acts you did yesterday, surviving might prove difficult for you in Skyrim." He was very pleasant, almost too pleasant. Something seemed… off about his presence. Elsa didn't mind at first. She was actually surprised that people still remember the event from yesterday. At least there was something good that came out of the incident.

"I only need safe passage to Winterhold. Maybe after so, you can return back here."

Both agreed to the terms and conditions. They shook hands like they were already good comrades. With that all said and done, they went on to finally conclude the deal.

"Name your price then."

"five-hundred septims."

_Sigh._

Yet again, this was a huge amount of money. The only thing stopping her was the price. She practically just arrived in Skyrim. With the amount of expenses she already did in the travelling and the rent and the food, she practically has nothing to spare. This is also why she has to go on foot aside from caravan. Basically, she's broke as a beggar.

"I'm sorry I don't have that kind of money."

Something inside Belrand changed.

"Hmph. Figures." His smiling faded. And just like that, his friendly demeanor suddenly changed into his real form. His look was sharp as he strode away from her.

_Yeah Figures. All you want is my damn money. _She thought.

They both went their way, opposite from one another.

She went travelling and outside the walls as soon as the conversation was over.

Elsa ventured from warm lowly plains to slopes of cold mountains. Her diet consists of pheasants wandering about. She simply sneaked about to find prey like a sabre to a husker and timed a jolt of lightning, or two if it missed. She felt this was the best way because her food will be half-way cooked by the time she started to roast it with flames.

Aside from the usual magic, She also delved in alchemy. She also picked out weeds and herbs along the way during daylight. If she felt it was very important, she'll try to pick it up. From simple mountain flowers to the very rare nirnroots, everything she can gather. By nightfall she'll try to mix the herbs for possible potions. She then listed it on paper, memorizing every potent bottle she can concoct. She also does this for a living back in her old country. Selling cures for any basic ailment like fever or Rockjoints. This was everything she did at least, for her first two days of travelling.

* * *

_Fredas,__5__th__ day in Hearthfire, 4E 203_

It was nightfall. She camped out in a forest. She put in a couple of twigs, circled it with rocks, and rolled a blanket of fire to light it up. Insects were cricking and you can even hear a sound of a wolf howl. She was surrounded by green luscious forest, though some are already falling due to the impending winter. A few hours ago, she just barely sneaked away from a giant's nest earlier, and got exhausted in the process. She set up camp just shortly after walking a lot of distance away from the nest.

She was in the middle of experimenting with the ingredients also from earlier until it was interrupted by a bandit thug wandering about.

"Look here boys. Hehe. You're a pretty lass aren't ya?"

She became flustered. She dropped everything she was doing.

"Heh. Oh you're right boss. "

"And look. She's all alone."

Two other bandits came out behind her. She was trapped and there were nowhere else to go.

"Stay back." Elsa was now brimming with confidence, but in here heart she was really afraid. To intimidate, her hands started glowing of purplish light. That light was flashing and blinking, almost like an electric ball.

"Hehe. A mage eh? We're already prepared for the likes of you. Rovan." The Thug leader called out his lackey.

She looked back at the other bandits. One was also a mage. You can tell because his hands were engulfed with fire.

_This'll be difficult._

"Just give us what you have. Hehe. Maybe even _more_…" The bandit leader crept closer.

She tried to remain unfazed and calm. In that ounce of moment she had to think of something in order to even the overwhelming odds against her.

First, she converted her sparking hands into an icy blue of irregular shape. _Ice Magic._ She put out the fire with freezing gusts of wind, it died shortly thereafter. Everything became dark, only moonlight was letting them barely see each other.

"Bitch! Rovan!"

The bandit mage suddenly used magic to light up the area. The female mage was gone though.

"How could she get away!?"

"Wait. I sense her magic."

There was a pause. The thugs were trying to predict her movement, but she remained silent. There is a good spell which can help you to become sneakier. It can make your footing lighter which means you can move about without making a sound. Elsa also used this spell earlier in order to avoid being spotted by the giant and its mammoth herd.

And becoming sneaky can result into a deadly assassination in any form.

Suddenly a jolt of lightning shocked the bandit leader. The energy was so intense that some parts of his skin gruesomely burned and singed.

_Urraaaaghhh!_

The leader was unconscious. With that amount of damage sustained, it was possible to conclude that he's already dead.

That magic was extremely dangerous. The two remaining lackeys guessed that she was no novice mage.

"Stay back to me!" The bandit mage casted a Ward spell in front of him. As much caution as he is, he tried again to predict her movements, but Elsa's spell was just too effective. The sudden pause in battle was too much for him. His patience was wearing thin. Prolonging the spell can wither away your energy a lot. He was sweating and his heartbeat is getting faster by the second. His comrade was raising his shield up. The wait is too much. He can't sustain his spell any longer. He already drained a lot of power by just lighting up the area, and unfortunately the spell is wearing off too. Luck favors Elsa today.

The light went out, and the Ward Spell couldn't keep up anymore. It suddenly died down after a minute or two. Both of them backed each other. One was already panicking on to a point of delusion.

"Calm down!" He let out a shout.

Elsa was also in a bit of trouble. She also can't see anything. Not until the bandit mage shouted to give in their position. Still she can't pinpoint it. It was not in her prowess to become as swift as a thief. But she was smart. Even though it was dark, she tried to conjure up a flurry of Fireballs into random directions. The blast was very loud and the two bandits started to panic. A moment after, A flame ball gleamed up towards them. They were blasted apart from each other. The bandit mage received major burns from all over his body. Still, he started to run.

_You're all on your own now._

He sees his comrade burning in flames. He was running out of panic.

"Help! Ahhh! HELPPP!"

He faced on the other side, leaving him to suffer.

The flames lit up the place, up to the point you can see the whole campsite almost burning.

Elsa appeared in front of the thug.

The bandit survivor has nowhere to go. Behind him were walls of flame. He held out a knife; out of desperation, plunged in for the woman. She barely managed to evade the strike, suffering a graze to the torso. Rovan the bandit mage was both agile and has a knack for magic. It was a very lethal combination of skill, but him receiving damage already all over his body rendered him weak. Elsa recovered faster than the skillful mage and whipped out a shard of ice, spearing his enemy. He let out a shriek of pain.

The thug was limping away from her out of sheer desperation. He was too battered and bruised. Out of blind panic, he broke his balance after tripping to a stone. The pain of being speared by cold ice was unbearable.

He was unconscious.

Elsa was injured too. The cut was not severe, but it was heavily bleeding. She felt intense pain as a small gush of blood flowed out the wound. She managed to find a spot to rest away from the burning landscape for a couple of minutes. She looked for bandages in her bag to wrap up the flesh wound immediately. She also poured in powders of blue mountain herbs to help it clot faster.

After a few hours of resting, she tried to stand up. She was still staring at the unconscious thug who might wake up at any moment. But it was too long for a person to be unconscious at that state.

_Maybe he's dead._

Daylight lit up the sky with morning sun. The place was already to ashes though. She caused a lot of damage, she gave it that.

This was one of the few times she burned up most of her energy. She can't even bear to heal herself with simple magic, all going to process of slow healing with herbs and bandages. She started to regret not hiring that sellsword. She wouldn't be in this serious predicament if there was someone watching her back too. She finally realized that being alone in this perilous place was a bad decision she made. But then, she had no money. So it was a decision doomed to fail anyways. She hoped for some company in her traumatizing experience she just had, but she just sobbed her emotions away.

Aftera few moments of weeping, she rose up to the ground.

She immediately went away from that wretched place.


	4. The Independent Mages Guild

**A/N Thank you for taking time to read! Though I'd really be happy if you guys tried to review. It'll really help me alot.**

* * *

_Middas, 10__th__ day in Hearthfire, 4E 203_

Her journey after the bandit attack weren't perilous anymore. In actuality, she learned quite a few tricks on how to evade trouble. One of those was to extinguish the campfire before sleeping. It attracts unwanted attention. Another was eating a hearty breakfast and eating before nightfall. This will compensate all the time loss and avoid probable danger you may encounter when hunting food at night.

Even in the afternoon, the winds are still cold across the tundra of Skyrim. She was weary the night before and even though Windhelm was so very near, the harsh cold couldn't make her reach her destination. She decided to seek refuge at Mixwater Mill, just south of Windhelm.

"So.. Tell me about your adventures." Gilfre, who was the owner of the mill, insisted on a story. Her working as a woodcutter made her life a bore. She almost never welcomes adventurers and travelers because she might get plundered by all the money she barely has, but Elsa was very different, she could tell.

Gilfre, the Imperial woman, poured water from Elsa's cup.

"My adventures were not as great as the others. I only wish to seek the College of Winterhold. But I can tell you about the country outside Skyrim."

She began telling her story as if she was an old friend. She told her the land of Morrowind: The Dunmer Ashland. Clouds are usually dark and misty from all the smoke and the volcanoes. She didn't get into much detail, because she was mainly talking about her sect: A group of people attuned with the power of the arcane at birth. These people are scattered almost everywhere in Tamriel, seeking the way of magic. Every member is entitled to a pilgrimage, gathering knowledge from the corners of the world and collecting books and scrolls for generations of learners to come.

She took a little sip. She continued telling her adventures, her friends she met, even a little romance. It unfortunately didn't end well. He was a very bold Dunmer (a typical race from Morrowind), only too bold that he ran off with a prettier woman. She made sure he never walked again.

"Surely you'll find yours soon." Gilfre smiled. Elsa replied back with a smile too.

"Yes. Well, it's getting late. Shall I sleep on the bench?"

"Goodness, no! Please, use the other room."

"Ah, thank you so much. I don't know if I can repay you."

"No, no. It's alright dear."

* * *

Gilfre was still sleeping. She figured she could leave a few septims and a note regarding her whereabouts if she would try to reach her. She immediately left at around dawn. Only after taking a few paces she already caught a glimpse of the castle in Eastmarch. Windhelm. Besides its cold appearance, it served as a very old structure to onlookers like her. Guards are stationed at every entrance, especially the main door, and street patrollers are always on the lookout. It was possible for her to stay at the taverns until midday, but she decided to take the carriage because she wanted to reach Winterhold by sundown. Plus, it'll be practically free since the journey is only shorter than compared going to Solitude or somewhere.

"Take me to Winterhold."

The steed hovered along the path. This was the safest she could've been. If only she had more coins before going out of town from The Pale, she can reach Winterhold without any serious problem. The travel was fast too, with a horse carrying your weight and your belongings instead of you alone. And, it has become an effective way of travelling.

The snow started to get thicker and colder. And as the winds grow colder, the vision became more minimal. Snow blanketed the earth as if it grew there. Trees are often enveloped with an array of snow in the leaves. The pacing still is fast. Horses in Skyrim are very durable; they were not as fast as any other horses found in Tamriel, but they can sustain the cold at adverse conditions.

It took all morning to arrive at Winterhold, earlier than expected. Even if it was in the middle of the day, Elsa finds no warmth in this land. While she was unpacking, her thought focused on how carriages like these were not formally introduced to her from the start. She started to regret spending up all her septims, this was totally faster than she'd been realized. On foot, it may take her a day, and even may not survive because of wild animals or the cold. _Great_. She took a toll on spending a lot by just illegally crossing the border. But in any case, she was here. And this is all she could've ever wanted.

She looked at the castle almost floating from the sky. In theory, the mountain holding up the College was too thin to support such a big weight. She can see auras and dim light glowing inside the castle. It was very majestic to see such a sight.

"This doesn't even stand a chance compared to the Mages Guild back." She couldn't fathom such a guild to be this immensely great.

She quickly started walking towards the bridge, only to be halted by a passing Altmer in robes.

"I'am sorry, but only Mages from-" She stopped. The High Elf observed closely to the young Nord woman standing in front of her.

"You…. Have great potential. I have seen a lot of mages here in Skyrim. But judging by your power, you outmatch most of them. How could I have not seen you before?" She looks highly elated by the fact that she could already see strong auras of magic emanating from her.

"Sister, I have come to seek knowledge here. Shall I demonstrate my potential?" She started to produce fire from her hands. The Altmer began to close Elsa's hand, stopping what she was doing, and the magic seemed to dispel right after they hold hands. Elsa could already tell she was a greater mage than she would ever be.

"There's no need to prove yourself. Please, come in. My name's Faralda."

"Elsa."

She was taken into the courtyard. In the center of the College was a statue. It was figured to do some sort of ritual in a well, focusing a beam of magic energy piercing through the sky. It was a really beautiful thing. Elsa first thought it was some sort of magical power to balance the College from the cliff.

For a typical new student, it was standard for you to be introduced to your room, but that was not the case for Elsa. Instead of her being sent to the hall for the students, called the Hall of Attainment, she was sent to one of the expert mages and experienced teachers in the College. She was rushed in straight ahead to the big door. Inside was an insanely huge but empty hall. You couldn't see or hear the harsh snow pouring in the College, just dreaded silence, which deemed a good thing. This makes a perfect meditation spot for her. Pillars circled around symmetrically and there was a big sphere floating just in the middle. There were benches sprawled across the room.

Faralda called out a person who was reading a book in one of those benches. The old man looked at Faralda, and then gazed at Elsa. He was almost allured to her aura she is emitting.

"My. My. Surely you are a sight to behold." Tolfdir stroked his beard like an old wise man. He seemed very pleased at the first sight of Elsa the Mage.

"I can sense you're no apprentice anymore. But I can honestly say you still have much to learn. Becoming a student here will change all that." Tolfdir assured her of her stay.

"I would love to learn first before I could do anything." Elsa felt humbled. She has been receiving a lot of praises from the day. After all her hardwork at such a young age, we can daresay that she is a prodigy. A lot have happened to her, and she hasn't even reached her prime. Although she still has much to learn. She may have knowledge, but she lacks experience. She learned all this in the bandit attack. She could've protected herself instead of being seriously injured from the ambush.

"You can already attend the class by tomorrow morning. First light. The lecture hall will be in here, The Hall of Elements." Faralda explained.

She was sent to the Hall of Attainment. Similar to the courtyard, the room possesses a well that produces a beam of energy to the ceiling. The hall has two floors, each has six bedrooms in a circle and all are facing towards the beam. The hall was very much smaller making it warmer than the other halls she was at. Faralda walked slower than usual. The room was actually very silent and the only thing making noise is the hum of the beam. An irregular noise can disturb the sleep and/or meditation of the students. Elsa tried to be as silent as possible too. While creeping, she saw students who were sleeping. One was a Nord, another was a dunmer, and a khajiit who just stopped from meditating. Elsa thought that being a khajiit, He could possibly hear anything from his cat-ears.

"J'zargo hears an unexpected guest. Are you possibly a new student?"

"Ah. I'm sorry to have disturbed you." She said quietly. She felt a bit embarrassed because she knows how disturbing a meditation can be. Once, way before her travels in Skyrim, she was staying at a very quiet inn. She started meditating until a loud person busting the door open to her room. He was a very drunk man, who took a liking to her blonde hair which he stated whilst entering the room. Apparently, broken from her focus, she felt a tingling sensation on her brain. It shocked her into reality, so it hurts a little. A few moments later after closing the room, the door burst much like the case when the brute entered. Spectators looked towards Elsa after that. The room was singed and the brute was lying paralyzed. Although what Elsa did to the khajiit was much different than the drunkard, she still felt apologetic. She began to brush her hair due to her induced memory.

"J'zargo is not worried. J'zargo only has to ask one question before you move to your quarters." His blank stare made her a bit uncomfortable, what he said after was the thing that made her chuckle.

"If by any chance, have you practiced your Destruction magic to an expert level?" even if he was wearing that serious face, she couldn't resist a bit of a chuckle or two. _Oh Aedra, I thought he's going to do something horrible to me._

"Actually I have." Elsa replied with a smile.

"Ah I see. But we still have a long way to go my friend." J'zargo crosses his arms and nodded his cat-head. "J'zargo permits you to leave now."

He was actually a fun person once she actually got to know him. He often speaks in third-person, which she finds comical at times. Even when she asks her other colleagues, no one seems to know if he's actually serious in his dialogues or not.

She climbed up to her room. Everything was empty save the bedsheets and covers. There was a small table accompanied by a chair. Shelves are found atop her bed and there even was a bookshelf just opposite the bed. She finally sat down and tested out if the bed was comfortable enough. It seems okay. Quickly, she drew out all her parchments and notes from her bag and placed it on a shelf. It was about time she can remove those. _Oh, the notes are already crumpled. _She didn't mindand continued unpacking. There were several potions she concocted that were still in progress. She however placed it on random shelves in her room, sorting and labelling as she placed them. After all the unpacking is done, she felt exploring the area a bit. Little did she know that it was actually evening. She noticed while looking outside another empty room with a window. _I wish I have this room instead._ Even though the sun isn't present under the snowstorm that was always brewing, it was already dark. She couldn't see past anything outside the window. Downstairs she saw people chatting. _Maybe I'll introduce myself tomorrow._

She actually felt tired from a strenuous day. At least, it was not as exhausting as the others, but she felt good. Achieving a goal makes everybody feel a bit fatigued after all the hardships they face. She reached Winterhold and that was that. She went to her room, filled with thoughts about tomorrow. Excited? Agitated? Maybe even more. Her thoughts were many. She can't wait to learn a lot of things from the college. She closed her eyes to sleep.


	5. An Urgent Request

It had been months since Elsa has been studying in the college of Winterhold, meeting all kinds of people who shared almost the same perspective to learning as she would've imagined. She met Onmund who was a Nord too. He met the same fate of Nord mages when he ran away from his family. He was maltreated by almost everyone because he "couldn't even carry an axe." Even though Onmund was a bit older, their expertise in terms of magic was horizons apart, favouring Elsa. In fact, every student in the College was no match for her. She's too unbelievably strong.

Brelyna Maryon, the Dunmer mage, was almost a fan of Elsa, marvelling every feat she accomplished during her stay. She too lived in Morrowind. They exchanged stories about magehood and how are the Houses holding up ever since she left for Skyrim. They didn't go too much on detail, but they were of great company with each other during classes.

J'zargo was a bit different. He challenges Elsa to a friendly competition every now and then, only to be beaten after a few seconds after the start of the match. He was arrogant and obsesses to be the best student in the College. Elsa was deemed to be the largest obstacle J'zargo has faced in his almost fading goal. But they were good friends. Even with losing, he manages to learn a thing or two about how to deal with stronger opponents such as her. He still accepts his fate of having a long way to go before becoming a powerful wizard.

The Arch-Mage Savos Aren, a dunmer who was believed to be more than a hundred, was notified of Elsa's endeavours. He greatly respected Elsa as a prodigy of magic. Ancano, an Altmer, thought of her as a threat to the safety of the precious artefact in the middle of the hall of the elements, which was found right before Elsa joined the College.

"It seemed uncanny that just after we found the orb, she came along." He claimed.

Mirabelle Ervine, the Master Wizard (or second-in-command), was almost never found in the College. She was supposed to tour Elsa on her first day, but she was clearly absent. The Arch-Mage said that she was doing research on the orb, so she had to go to some places.

At days when she is free from lectures and tests, she occasionally reads in the library, or Arcaneum. At first, the Orc, Urag gro-Shub, was irritated when Elsa comes to the library whenever she pleases, but after a few conversations about books in Morrowind, which grabbed his interest, he has taken her to liking. No sooner than later Urag was asking favors to recover books found locally within Eastmarch. She was rewarded with books she can actually keep from the Arcaneum. There were also bountiful gold coins too when she recovered ancient tomes and scrolls.

However her most appealing job she could do is Sergius Turranius' fetching duties. Enchanting was one of the feats she wanted to learn, though she hardly has time to accommodate training between her meditation and classes. When Elsa discussed for a private tutoring session with Sergius, he instantly said _no_. She then pleaded for anything that deals with enchantment.

"Well, I could use someone to send the weapons I enchanted."

Elsa gladly accepted and a whisk of excitement was written all over her face. On the plus side, she had missed adventuring. Urag's book-hunt weren't enough for her actually, since she was sent only over to the reaches of Windhelm. If asked to find books somewhere farther, he declined. He said it was too dangerous and for someone young as her, who knows what will happen.

Some bonds in the college grew, since they themselves were the ones who chat with each other every day. Urag developed a fatherly figure towards Elsa, an Orsimer that actually cares despite him being of brute kin, like a daughter. Elsa was young, twenty two to be exact. She was totally devoid of what was actually happening in Skyrim, all those wars and dragon attacks that stories in these times never tire of foretelling. By her innocent eyes, she probably never had seen a dragon before. Such sentiments were always in the mind of Urag. Sergius was complacent though.

"It can be an experience students learn while crossing their destinies." Sergius said.

As expected from teachers, they were wise beyond their years, something Elsa can't learn at a young age. Yes, she needed this experience. Urag protested though, there was even a night where both of them debated on areas Elsa could and couldn't travel. Elsa overheard the whole conversation.

_Hmph. Parents. _

She was lucky, to have a family like this. She misses her actual parents though.

Elsa can now travel even from the reaches of Whiterun. It can take her about one or two days to arrive, but the septims were very rewarding. She didn't mind about being cornered by bandits anymore. With all the teachings she learned, she can finally apply them in those situations. Unlike before, she can now clear out a bandit cave and not even receiving a scratch to her body (thanks to her new and improved healing spells and potions).

"Here, five-hundred septims." Sergius would often say to Elsa after delivering the procured item. As often as Elsa likes, she requested these courier missions almost after completing the previous ones. She had always liked the excitement it brings her whenever she goes far away. Staying in Winterhold to read and learn, she liked it, but it's just not her style.

There was one favour Sergius offered to Elsa on the 11th day of Morning Sun, something that particularly changed her in most various ways.

* * *

_Sundas, 11__th__ day in Morning Star, 4E 204_

"Elsa. A client requested an item to be sent to a small village." Elsa, who was writing something on a piece of paper, was caught by surprise.

"Ah. Sergius."

Sergius cleared his throat for a moment. He has something in his hand which was wrapped in cloth.

"Sorry to have bothered you. But I wanted to inform you immediately."

"No it's alright. This is nothing anyways." Elsa crumpled the paper. Sergius thought she may have written something she didn't like.

"Again, I apologize. You see…" He tried to form a stream of thought, then letting it out.

"The client requested it to be given soon to his son." Sergius unravelled the cloth with his two hands. It was a glass bow that shimmers in its own lustre. It seemed very precious. "Unfortunately, the client hasn't paid yet."

"Ah, I understand. But what happens if they do not pay up? I don't want them getting hurt." Elsa replied with a concerned look on her face.

"Can you decide that on your own? I think you can learn values and judgement if this was put on your shoulders." Sergius gave that tutor-smile. It seems he's expecting Elsa to learn something in this course of exposure.

"Oh and also, I'll give you an early pay. I may not be in the College when you return." Sergius handed the usual amount to her.

"Where are you going?" Elsa inquired.

"There will be a gathering of highly respectable mages as representatives of certain guilds." Sergius laughed a bit to detest the idea his next words were about to say. "I was picked by the Arch-Mage." He then sighed.

"I guess he's too old to go travelling." Elsa thought that master was incapable of adventure anymore, only to be stuck within the four corners of the castle. But he did enjoy it. He was still kicking, able to walk about properly like age isn't a matter. He was just not able to do anything extraneous rather than handling every paperworks the College needs.

"I have already informed Tolfdir and Master Savos on your future departure. You can go back whenever you want. Just don't forget to write letters. Urag might be concerned." He laughed.

"Okay, I'll leave by tomorrow."

* * *

The carriage stopped at Whiterun, as expected of the driver to do. She arrived a day after, and it was considerably faster if she were to walk the whole way. Unfortunately though, carriages only move from one hold to another. _Specifying a location makes them nervous,_ she guesses. _After all, their jobs are only but of humble service._ Elsa didn't mind though, she likes to get some exercise now and then. Walking along the road, she tried to contemplate her current situation.

"Mralki… an Inkeeper of Rorikstead… Frostfruit Inn.." She was talking to herself. It was healthy for a person to talk to themselves once in a while. It helps figure out some issues at hand. She wondered what Rorikstead would look like. She hadn't particularly travelled there yet. Though what's really bothering her most was her call on them. This test Sergius proposed is a challenge to her.

She shook the thought off. _I'd think about it when I get there._ She thought. As she finished her contemplation, she noticed a flock of pheasants that landed nearby. It was already midday and she hadn't had her breakfast. She needed to leave as soon as possible before Urag showed up to her room, which might jeopardize the whole trip.

She wanted to try something on her new profound power. It was an electric spell called Chain Lightning. Faralda said it was a good spell against the many. However, using it continuously can become strenuous to the body. Also, it was a very dangerous spell. She reminded Elsa to only use it if she doesn't have someone with her, arcing shocks can cause random results, and may lead to the endangerment of her companion. This is also one of the reasons why she didn't ask help from her colleagues. She wanted to experiment her new powers.

She concentrated her magic. Like a heartbeat, purple gleams of lightning pulsed from her hand. She took into battle position and tried to aim using her hand. She let out a palm of concentrated energy, a sudden burst of electricity gleamed into the ground where the birds have stayed. It bounced off at least three of them. The other birds flew off in panic. She was greatly impressed with what she had learned. Although this was only one of the few things she'd learn over the course of her study. Now she has the banquet all to herself. Unfortunately though, she can only afford to eat one.

She did not require a campsite for her lunch. She just roasted the bird with flames after pulling every feather out of its body. It made her feel a bit tired. She then took a bottle out of her satchel and drank it. It was a potion that recovers her magic abilities, and it will regenerate over-time.

After her lunch she continued travelling, a hood covering her head from the sunlight, her blonde hair showing off for a bit. She looked at the crossroads and didn't realize she was already close to her destination. She was also lucky she didn't get to encounter feral animals along the way, or maybe something even worse…

She did pass by a man who was running. He was in a state of fear. She crossed him nonchalantly. It seems that minding his business can prolong her from getting to Rorikstead. However, the civilian turned his back again, panting.

"Excuse me, Are … you by any … chance an adventurer?" He was still panting and pausing to every three words that come out of his mouth.

"What's the matter?" She tried to calm the Nord down. He was still trying to catch his breath from his long run. After he regained his posture, he pleaded out of desperation.

"Please, you've got to help us."


	6. Flaring Crimson

_Morndas, 12__th__ day in Morning Star, 4E 204_

It was a typical sunny day in the town of Rorikstead. Even if one believes that Skyrim was always blanketed on snow, it was not on this place. The plains were lush with greenery and trees were vibrant with its natural colors. The town was situated the farthest among the west of Whiterun hold, reaching almost Hjaalmarch. This was a simple but peaceful town full of hardworking people, living earnest lives in the process. Civilians work the soil until their hands couldn't bear it any longer. What they do is not a form of slavery, but high devotion to their modest jobs.

They were always praying to the Divines for food and bountiful harvest, and the sky that have given them the fruits of their labour were always thanked for. Looking at it, it was a very calm blue. Clouds floating about in air and moves as time presses on… This is a peace one could cherish for the rest of their lifetime. As much as any civilian would caress the moment given to them, a person was not at all delighted.

_The sky is very different from the earth._

His mind gave him a clear thought of that phrase. Looking at the ground, all he sees was dirt, soil, and nothing but muck. This is the earth that will eventually consume him into oblivion. He slowly tills the soil, contemplating that he himself is serving the soil, grooming and taking care of it as sooner or later it will give him the food he'll need to survive…

Such daydreaming slowed his work of production and was later complained by other farmers in the area, but he didn't care. He looked up to the sky, feeling the heat of the sun. He covered his eyes with the shade from his hands.

_How I wonder if I could also visit the skies._

The full-grown Nord with a typical farmer's physique contemplated his lifelong dream. Working for the soil was his inhibition to achieve that. He longed for the stories of travelling bards and merchants who come across this town were telling. Adventuring was always in his process of mind. In any event that he took care of them while resting at his father's inn, he always listens to stories about legends and myths that excite him. Some stories were about famous gems from distant lands and artifacts that were found in crypts, even stories about the Dragonborn were sung in the halls.

Of course, reaching for that dream is almost close to impossibility now. His father forbids him of adventuring; such dangers will worry the father's heart. It would be a shame if his son will also be taken away from him. As such, he owed his life to the soil. Sure that the young man can go on hunting, but he never strayed off beyond the sight of Rorikstead. He actually wanted to visit a lot of places he can't venture off to. It was very much unfair for his part, but he understands his predicament, although disliked it wholeheartedly.

He seldom asks his dad for permission. He did it in one of those days where his dad was in a good mood, eventually though the smile will turn into a sorrowful frown for denying his own son's integrity. The succeeding days were almost always like that.

"I'm sorry. If we only have the money for the gear…" he retorted.

"No, I understand Dad." He ignored his father's explanation.

Usually the conversation always ends like this. It bothers him a little over the few days, but eventually it will fade out into his memory.

Although thoughts are already swirling around his head, he still manages to keep a perception of the environment around him. His father is approaching him and signalled him to take a break.

He let go of the hoe and stretched out his hand. He let loose the string that bundled up his long red hair together.

"Erik." Mralki called out for his son. "Come by at the inn, I have lunch prepared."

"Yes Dad."

"Son…" He looked at his son's eyes, he felt worry and depression. It was not of a regular father's intuition but he has been taking care of him since the day he was born.

"Are you alright?" Mralki finally continued his flow of words after touching his hand to Erik's shoulder.

Erik simply shrugged. This made Mralki even more concerned, but only after a fraction of a second, Erik realized the situation and tried to deflate it.

"It's alright, I really am fine." He then gave a smile, a smile that can put a concern away… Even if it rips him apart by not telling his father the truth.

Mralki smiled back, almost proud of his son, and also deluded from the truth.

"Then we should get back." They marched on a few paces but then Mralki turned back again briefly.

"By the way, a courier will deliver us a package soon. Tell me in case I missed him." Then again they walked inside the inn shortly after.

* * *

_Frostfruit Inn_

"… It's one of those family heirlooms your mom used to collect." Mralki continues the conversation. They both settled in on a table and a chair, there were already food prepared on the table.

"I miss her, you know." Erik claimed a speech after his father was blabbering the whole time. Mralki just gave out an innocent smile.

"We both miss her, kid" he then patted his rough hands on the boy's back.

They both ate their lunch without an ounce of conversation. It actually took a couple of minutes and a short feeling of courage until they started to say something.

"I-"

"Say-"

They both uttered a word almost precisely at the same time. Both of them snickered a little. Erik lent his father an ear first.

"How about we trade our work load for while? I could work on the fields and you take care of the inn for the rest of the day. I'm pretty sure you're already beat up. You've practically been doing it the whole morning without stopping." Erik gladly accepts his father's offer.

"Ah, but are you sure you can handle it?" He teased his father a little.

"Hah! I may be old, but I used to be an Imperial Legionnaire when I was your age." Mralki let out a boisterous laugh, only to be followed by Erik's smirk.

"Now, what was it you were going to say?" He continued.

"Oh, uh, I was just wondering if I could go hunting for deer pelts. We're running out of leather." This was really not what he was going to say. He merely evaded asking _that _question again.

"Of course you can, why would you even ask that?"

"Nothing. Well, shall we be off to work then?"

* * *

The rest of the afternoon became a bit calmer after that. This was one of those days that his father was actually happy. Erik tried not to convince him this time, as his too good of a mood is awful to ruin. Maybe he can reside into convincing his father next time. After all, he was given a time off the field anyways. It's high time to take more than just his sleeping hours be the one that eases him from working that damn soil he loathes.

As minutes turn into a few hours, Erik became busy just by wiping the tables with a rag cloth like a typical innkeeper should be doing. In actuality, not much is happening in midday in the inn. Usually, people come to drink ale or rest during nightfall. The place was practically empty since everyone is working.

His business was interrupted by a commotion outside. He went outside to check what was going on. Suddenly a wild growl of a grizzly beast made everyone panic.

"Bear!"

"It's a bear attack!"

"Where are the guards!?" People kept screaming and panicking around the center of Rorikstead, much were actually running away. Soon Mralki hurried towards the inn.

"Son…" He continued, but in irregular intervals of his pants and catching of breaths "..A bear…"

Like a jolt of lightning, he quickly understands the situation. He went to his room and grabbed his wooden bow and steel arrows and sheathed an iron sword to the hilt, strapping it into his belt. He also saw his father strapping a sword and shield, but Erik insisted him on staying. He demanded to close the inn with him inside, telling him that it might take a toll on his health if he were to fight again.

"All right, but be careful." He nodded. Out of nowhere he hugged his son. He hadn't done that to him ever since he was a child. His father greatly expressed his concern for the safety of his son.

"Don't worry father, I can handle this." Erik then stepped outside. He heard his father barricade the door with something sturdy.

As a matter of fact, he was actually the youngest but broadest amongst other men in the village. Some of the villagers are either too young or too old for battle, like his father who've seen too much of the war to go back fighting even a bear. He quickly went to some of the guard patrollers nearby who were distracting the bear. He was very well equipped even though he has no armor rather than his clothing. As the guards laid eyes on him, eager for battle, they quickly requested aid.

"Just stay behind us!" the guards quickly ordered him.

Three guards were circling around the bear, waiting for it to strike. A comrade of them became seriously injured and was taken out of the battle. As the ravaging bear was distracted, Erik drawed out his bow. He calmed down, took a breath of air, taking a very precise concentration to his target. He shot out an arrow fiercely in midair.

The arrow struck, right behind its neck. Obviously it was not enough to kill a bear. It growled in pain though. The bear became more enraged and levered itself to stand up. It slashed a guard with its mighty claws, thrashing him like a pile of meat. The bear then charged for the guard who was also coming at it with an axe. It had more power and thus, a heightened speed, pounding the second guard head-on and blasted him away unconscious. The bear was struck again with an arrow that darted almost the same area the first arrow was. Provoked, it charged at Erik.

Erik had no choice but to use his sword now, but the bear was too fast and charged right at him. He stood ground, waiting for an opportunity to strike. He was about to slash his sword but only to be blocked by the claws of the bear. It was really smart. Erik staggered and tumbles down to the ground as the bear stood up, right in front of his helpless stature.

Fear enveloped Erik's eyes.

_Death_

In his mind he loathed the fact that he was going to die on the ground he slaved for. _This will be the bitter end _he expected, just like what he dreamt of in each and every passing day he got rejected to become a hero. An adventurer. All those words of travellers and bards he heard. It seemed like a fleeting moment.

In an event, his life flashed before his eyes… Or rather there was a blinding flash that made him more scared. The bear writhed in pain, stood on four feet again. It was too late for the bear to be shooed, but now it seemed to weaken. It was now in agony. The bear left helpless Erik, who was covering his head with his arms, lying in an almost fetal position. Shots of icy-blue daggers flew in the air, wounding it. The bear became weary and slowed down, it was bleeding immensely. Erik recovered himself and tried to get a glimpse of the situation.

A woman, clad in robes and a long object covered in garments on her back, seemed to gather energy from her hands.

"A mage…" He successfully muttered after his contemplation.

* * *

Elsa tried to contend the bear by herself. She had encounters with snow bears in her time in Winterhold. She usually tries to sneak her way past them since it can be very deadly if she'll try to fight with one alone. This one is a bit different. When she got there, the bear was already struck down to a point of serious injury. She can tell by the major cuts and arrows that were stuck to his thick fur. Since the bear is already injured, it is possible to kill it without endangering herself.

She began to glow her hands with sparking static energy from her hand. From there, she engulfed the bear with shocks of electricity, which greatly staggered it. She continued this until the bear was completely unconscious. Dead.

_Bears are really powerful creatures._

Primarily, the bear was already hurt. It took her a lightning bolt and a couple of ice spears just to save a man's life. Good thing it got distracted before it could continue it's rampage. She breathed out a sigh. There was a pause in the scene. She glanced at her surroundings. People are staring at her, bewildered on what just happened.

_Ah, magic._

She completely forgot about how not all Nords appreciate magic. This crude justification was tolerated in the College. So she completely erased that memory. But now, as everyone's stares of worry and doubtfulness… It became of cheer and noise.

Everyone clapped their hands and congratulating the woman, though honestly, there were only just a few people. Still, Elsa felt glad that no one argued with her doing her job.

"Hey." Elsa was shocked and turned around. As she turned her head, she saw something that made her heart pound faster. A man, who has flaring crimson hair and beard, approached her. He's quite young for his age, but she knows she's younger herself. She tried to cover her blush by hiding her for a moment, then faced him again.

"My name's E-Erik…" he stuttered a little. Erik was excited, meeting another adventurer, also saved his life for that matter. She was quite beautiful and young.

"Elsa…" Her voice was resonating in his ear. Her name was circling around his head. Her blonde hair and pale skin was too radiant for Erik. He wanted to touch it, but couldn't under the situation. He got too distracted and couldn't bring his words properly, but he finally got to say something.

"T-thank you for saving my life back there. I'm forever in your debt."

Elsa became astonished. Her face blushed. She stroked her hair repetitively. She was acting like a young girl in love. She suddenly realized she was becoming a bit embarrassing, then dismissed the thought. She finally realized something to say to the fellow.

"A bear attack in a town. I rarely see it happening." Elsa said.

" Me too. I only just got word of it. The town is surrounded by mountains, so maybe a bear strayed too far from its home."

"Ah, I see."

There were silence in both of them. They looked up to each other for mere seconds. But both flushed away their heads, something broke the pause between them.

"Erik! Thank the Divines!" Mralki hurriedly paced towards them. Mralki hugged his son and patted his back, overfilled with joy. He then saw Elsa, who was quite happy to see them bonding for a moment.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Mralki grabbed her hand and shook it, Elsa looked flushed.

Finally people went over to her, thanking her again for what she did. Elsa was separated from Erik after.

"A man from Rorikstead called out for me. Ennis was his name. You townsfolk should be thanking yourselves. It's a good thing to call out someone for help." She smiled and waved at the few. Of course the guards were there too, they were left scathed, but none of them died. Elsa was not sure if they were new-breds. A lot of guards she usually sees were really bulky and fierce-looking. Patrolling in Rorikstead is a bit safer, so it can be a good place to start your first guard duties, but with the situation at hand, one can never be too careful nowadays.

Rorik, the founder of the Rorikstead, was there too. He was congratulating her, even insisted on rewarding her with septims. She denied at first, but with a lot of persuasion, she gladly accepted the offer. Soon, Mralki stepped in between them and asked something for Elsa.

"Won't you stay at the inn for the night? It'll be free of charge. It's the least we can do for helping us."

"You work at the inn?" Elsa replied.

"Yes. Actually I own the inn."

"Ah. Actually, my destination is Rorikstead. I came from Winterhold to bring an item for you. You are Mralki, am I right?"

Mralki was in shock, but then quickly recovered with a glad smile on his face.

"Yes, yes. What say we continue this conversation inside the inn. It's getting a bit late." Mralki then guided her to the Frostfruit inn. "Erik, are you coming?" He called out to his son who was conversing with Ennis.

"O-of course Father."

Elsa smiled at seeing Erik again.

The three continued on inside as dusk fell.

* * *

A/N : Hope you guys like it! Please R&R.


	7. The Heartseeker

There was a mini-celebration of Elsa's heroic deed over what had happened that day. Mralki offered a round of drink for free to everyone who was there. Much of the inn is surrounded with loud noises and pointless conversations that lightened the mood of everyone that starry night. Of course, Elsa was glad too. This was one of those things she enjoyed about adventuring: Touching people's lives she comes across, sharing the experience with each other as they become bonded with each other. Elsa was there enjoying the small festivity, exchanging laughs from people. Sometime after that, Elsa began to converse with Mralki. Erik was busy pouring cup after cup of wine. Though honestly, Erik was glancing at her from time to time whenever she wasn't looking.

"Honestly, I really couldn't thank you enough." Mralki held Elsa's hand, forever in her debt for saving his son's life.

"No it's okay. I hardly did anything. You should also thank the guards." She replied with a glowing smile on her face.

"Now, about that item…" He pointed to the wrapped cloth strapped on her back.

"Oh, okay business." She held her hands together.

"Yes, yes… I think you've already been informed." He tried to be as courteous as possible, but Elsa knew he had a wry smile.

"I actually am."

"I'm sorry I can't pay up any sooner. Can a hundred septims suffice?"

Elsa knew that it wouldn't. This was judgement time. Her next words will become either become the utter annihilation of the family, or the blessing they want to receive from the Nine themselves. Elsa thoroughly thought of a way to help them without creating casualties of money.

"It's not, but … Keep it." Elsa finally concluded a way and gave him the bow wrapped in cloth.

Mralki opened his mouth, with a big 'o' written all over it.

"Y-You…" His eyes started to tear up a little.

"Well, how about I stay five-hundred septims worth of days in this place? That's around two months. That's at least the required payment." Elsa then concluded.

"B-but why?" He was just utterly dumbfounded.

"Well, I know that it may be impossible for you to pay so I just came up with an idea. In any case, I've been stuck in Winterhold for months and I missed adventuring…" She gazed at her tankard, spinning it around slowly, as if reminiscing something. "It's also warm here. And it's a mountainous region. I could go for some local _sightseeing_. If you know what I mean." She snickered.

"T-this… This would be great news!" He continued. "Yes! Yes! Of course! I would gladly accept that!" He shook her hand, very happy. his heart jumped for joy.

"Wow, this bow really is important to you is it?" She tried to change the topic, because she knew he might explode from happiness. Only if Erik were to see his father right now. Unfortunately, he was too pre-occupied from serving all the guests.

"Ah… It's actually a bow that made me meet her mother." Mralki eyed at Erik, still busy with accommodating the guests.

"Sounds romantic. Tell me more." She was all-ears this time.

_Mralki explained the story far back in the years during the Great War as one of the Legionnaires. He arrived at Solitude during that time and he was finding someone who could forge him a bow. A local Nord woman guided him to a local smith. The smith said that it could take him around two weeks to properly smelt and shape the fine malachite. Unfortunately, his stay would only take about a week for some custom relations in the army. Luckily, the woman provided her house to let him stay for awhile. Smitten by the Nord, he tried to court her during those limited days, eventually falling in love with each other. But as destiny ensues, he had no choice but to leave her. He had no choice; he felt broken. Every passing day was very heartbreaking for him, thinking that in one of those days he could die at any moment and never see her face again. He tried writing letters unbeknownst if it could actually reach her or if she could write back, but it gave him hope. Eventually he was dismissed after the long years he had served. He tried to return to Solitude as quickly as possible and as soon as he landed, he was been awaited by the Nord whom he'd met for so little time. He was astonished as how could she have known that he ported on Solitude that day. She told him that she just received his latest letter regarding his arrival. She was keeping all the letters that he sent every time he had written one. Due to constraints, she couldn't write one back. He then tried to propose to her, though he forgot to bring any band or even an amulet of Mara to seal their love for each other. She contemplated and thought of an idea. She drawed out something wrapped in cloth on her back._

_You forgot this._

_She remembered. He forgot. How stupid of him. A silver glass bow whose been polished every single day it was created, waiting for its master to finally come. And he did. After that, they were eventually married by the grace of Mara. It was an unorthodox way to bind their love, but they both accepted it nonetheless. Soon after, she bore Erik, his one and only son. They eventually retired, living the merriest of life as ever._

"Of course, that was until my wife died of sick health."

"Oh… I'm sorry for your loss." She paused, bowing her head, praying to Arkay, the god of life cycles, for her soul to rest in peace.

"It's okay. I miss her. We both do. But that was all in the past." He still had a few regrets in his mind, but didn't bother to tell Elsa about it. He continued the conversation. "This bow is actually a gift to my son… But I don't know if he can accept it yet."

"How so?" Elsa inquired.

"It's just- Ah, what am I saying?" He tried to laugh, but some sorrow made it a bit low.

"It's okay. You don't have to tell if it concerns you. I'm practically a stranger."

"Of course not. With everything you've done, I'm not sure if any father will call you a stranger from this point on." Mralki denied her statement. They were talking about saving his son. That was in any way, a grace from the Divines.

"I see your point." She nodded.

"Well, it's actually a token of apology." He was hesitating to speak at first, but opened up soon after. He felt his hands a bit numbed. He continued his talk.

"It's for all those years that I've been turning him down. I wanted him to be happy, yes, but I just couldn't lose him just like how I lost his mother." He began shaking with grief. Elsa wanted to ask what he was denying Erik of, but sooner or later she'll eventually know.

"There, there. Look around you. Everyone is happy. It would kill the mood if you go on moping like that." Elsa patted his back. He was looking down the ground, but he sure felt relieved, even for a little bit.

"Thank you. I'm sorry if I'm like this. I usually ain't." his hoarse voice was too emotional. Yes, it didn't fit him from the very start. But, it wasn't a problem to let loose of emotions like these once in a while.

"C'mon go have fun. There is a pitcher of rum with your name on it." Elsa put a toast of her tankard. It clanked with Mralki's.

"Guess you're right." He started smiling again.

With all the bustling of people inside the inn, people started to get drunk, and things got a bit louder than usual with all the un-pitched singing. There were many conversations that she barely payed attention to, as she was enjoying her time.

"Oh, and by the way, even if I already accepted you being a mage, but just a bit of advice:" He then continued. "Folks here may not treat you so well about it. You know what, Just give me a call, and I'll punch the living daylights out of anyone who would disagree with you." He smacked his fist into his palm.

Elsa laughed. "I know you wouldn't really do that, but I accept the generosity."

Elsa left him alone after chugging all the rum inside the tankard. She looked around, seeing everyone merrily going on their own ways of enjoying the night. Some were dancing. Some were drinking their lights out, like Ennis who was asking Erik for more mead. And some are just having conversations and laughing. She could meet with the people around here first. She was after all, going to stay for awhile. But of course, who wouldn't she rather meet first than…

"Elsa!" The red-haired Nord was waving at him, with the other hand holding a tray of cups.

"Come! Look at this!"

Elsa walked down the aisle of busybodies, appearing in front of Erik.

"Hah! Ennis couldn't even handle his mead." He was laughing. Ennis, was unconscious in the table he was sitting, his arms sprawled across it. It was filled with empty mugs of mead and the area smelt of alcohol.

"You two sure are close."

"Well, he's the only person who's closest my age. He's still a lot older than me, but at least he is able to hunt for food, whenever the older folks ask us to." He was staring at Ennis for two whole seconds, laughing at his predicament. But then, he looked at standing Elsa.

"Ah- Where are my manners?" Erik tried to carry Ennis out the table. He soon took him to a room nearby unto a bed. He quickly returned and cleaned all the cups that were in the way. It actually took him a full minute to do all that he did.

"Here, take a seat." Erik insisted. Elsa sat down very lady-like. Erik then sat also, across her. The aroma of alcohol was still faint, but at least it was not as head-aching as before.

"So, how's my father like?" Erik inquired.

"He's wonderful. He really cares about you." She smiled. Erik felt a bit embarrassed. He then blushed, slowly rubbing his head with his hand.

"Ah- My dad, he rarely becomes soft like that." He then continued. "Anyways, I heard you were also the courier. So what did my father enchant? He never tells me anything."

Elsa wanted to tell him but she figured it was a secret meant to be kept, so she just smirked.

"Oh, nothing in particular." She jokingly said.

"Oh c'mon, really? I bet he paid you a lot of money for that."

"Not really, he didn't pay me a single coin. I just requested something in return."

Erik seemed fazed on what had Elsa said. What could have possibly been asked for his father to remove his debt from the College? He thought of something horrific, but didn't bother thinking about it. By the looks of it, she also wasn't cruel enough to punish his father for not paying in time. It actually took a momentary pause 'till he wanted to blurt out the question.

"So, what is it?"

"Well, I wondered if could stay here for a couple of months. I don't know, until Winterhold's not really that cold enough to travel to, I guess." She just shrugged.

He slightly spat his drink, choking upon hearing what he had just heard.

"You what?"

"Hey, if you don't want me here, that's fine." She jokingly bluffed. Of course Erik would take the bait very seriously.

"N-no! It's not that. Of course I want you to stay. I- I mean, I just didn't understand it at first... Look, don't mean this the wrong way but… Y-You know, its – " He was stammering his monologue and as he eyed at Elsa.

"I- I.. just saying… you know…Ah." He then stopped his nonesense and stared at the chuckling Elsa. By the look on Erik's face, he was very red all over, even his hair was flaring red. Elsa was looking a bit flustered too. She wanted to say something, but she just sat there looking all innocent. Erik laughed a little, showing his angelic smile.

"Stay. Please do." Erik finally said something which made Elsa's pulse raise. His voice was truly honest and endearing, which made her light-hearted.

And suddenly, there was another pause in the air. Of course, people were still chatting and drinking and laughing in the background. But both of them just sat there, just amazed to sit across from each other, happy.

* * *

**A/N : Eventually you'll know why this chapter is entitled Heartseeker. Of course to anyone who already got a hunch (it's reaaaallyy obvious), you can just keep it to yourself. Also, thanks for the follows and views! I always feel gooey inside when I know that some person out there is reading my story. :)**


	8. The People of Rorikstead

**A/N : some really, really short vignettes of what had coursed through the months that Elsa stayed at Rorikstead. You may sort of call this as a not-so-filler-filler chapter. Also, updates will become slightly sporadic. But I guarantee you I'll have one or two chapters a week.**

* * *

_The Twins_

One morning at the grassy road of Rorikstead, two kids were playing tag with each other. Elsa, who was sitting at the porch of _Frostfruit Inn, _decided to watch them play for awhile. She remembered her days also as a kid. Whenever she plays tag, she never wins. She was never the fast type anyways. At that moment the two kids, Sissel and Britte, ran inside the porch, making really loud noises and screams of joy. When Britte caught Sissel in a hug, they almost died of laughing.

As she'd heard from townsfolk, they rarely get along like this. Sometimes they would argue most days about whose turn it is to pick the weed in the garden. It is said that something happened between both of them that Elsa never knew about. Though she just dismissed the thought, she might be a little concerned for the two of them.

The two kids are whispering in each other, looking at Elsa. Of course she looked a bit flustered and was wondering what they're up to. As the older one whispered in the other's ear, they both smiled and approached her.

"Hey miss, would you like to play hide and seek with us?" Britte looked at her innocently.

"Me? Oh goodness…" Elsa became a bit too embarrassed. She knows she'll lose (or just have to). It was again one of those games that she never enjoyed playing, but Elsa agreed nontheless. They were after all, kids. If they wanted fun, they might as well have it.

"Yay! But of course, you'll be _it_." Britte pointed at her. Sissel have that sort of devilish look in her.

So Elsa of course, tried to close her eyes and counted at least to ten.

"No peeking!"

Elsa honestly didn't peeked.

After she counted to ten, she immediately looked for them. If this was a mage's warzone, she could simply use magic to Detect Life, and they'd found them in just a few seconds after she can look for them. But no magic. It's cheating anyways.

She searched in farms, haystacks, mills and under the wheelbarrows. But they weren't there. She tried looking inside the Inn but they weren't there either. It's been almost twenty minutes of searching basic spots in the area.

_They must really be good_

And so, Elsa started searching some of the more complicated parts in the town. She tried to find them behind some of the houses, and she heard the twins' voice. She succeeded. As she was about to step forward to claim her victory, she overheard the conversation between the two. Someone was sniffing and another was quite mad at the other. She tried to stop and listen first.

"Quiet down! Do you want her to find us?" There was a slight thud. It sounded like the voice of Britte. Sissel was almost to a point of crying.

"B-but, Sister, you're the one being loud." She complained.

"Oh, now you're arguing with me! First you forgot about the weeds, now you're letting us lose the game!" She heard Sissel crying. Elsa immediately went through them.

"What's going on here?" Elsa swooped out of her hidey-hole. Her face was full of worry. She clenched her fist, but suddenly loosened and covered her mouth seeing Sissel cry. The little girl ran towards her and wrapped her arms around Elsa's legs.

Britte whiffed up a _hmph._"She needed the lesson anyways."

"Now that's just rude Britte. She's your sister, there's no need for her to be punished over some game." Elsa looked at Sissel, who was still grasping her ever so hard. She whispered to her an _"are you alright, honey?". _She tried wiping her tears off until she got comforted.

"But she didn't pluck out the weeds this time! Now we're in big trouble!" Britte was in a fit of rage. She's losing her temper because she knows she's losing the argument.

"Now you're just blaming her for something you could've done also." Elsa eyed at Britte with an irritated look. Britte replied with a pout and another _hmph._

_Ah, kids._

Elsa took a breath, and let out a big sigh. She formed a big open arm, signalling them to come closer to her. It sort of has an inviting feeling to it. As the two got together, Elsa smiled and told them something.

"Look, you two are twins. It is one of the closest bonds a person could ever have with another." Elsa looked at both of them. She then continued. "Make sure you've got each other's backs, always. Because they'll be the only person you can trust in the end."

"I'm still older by ten minutes." Britte crossed her arms. She was still aloof. Elsa didn't pay attention though, as she was both teaching them a valuable lesson.

"Okay, how about this…" Elsa held both of their hands and started walking towards the family garden. It took them a couple of seconds to get there.

"I'll only do this once, okay?" Elsa then glowed her hands with radiating fire. The twins felt the sensation of heat, but it was actually only a warm feeling to them. Elsa pulsed out a small heat wave around garden. It was hot enough to burn every weed, but not destroying the crops in the process. As all weeds burned to ash, Sissel and Britte stared at awe.

"To see a mage do that..Wow." Sissel said. Britte was just very happy, clapping her hands as she was glad that they won't get punished by their father.

"Oh, Thank you so much Miss Elsa! We will never forget this!" Sissel was in deep joy.

"Now, I only did this once. If weeds go growing again, you have to pluck it out yourselves." Elsa gave the two of them a big hug.

_Ah kids, I'll never understand them._

* * *

_The Mage_

Mralki introduced to him Jouane Mannette, a certain person who'd saved his life during the Great War. He looked old because of the bald head and gray facial hair. But she knew he had a lot of wisdom to spare.

He held out his hand for a greeting. Elsa accepted. Jouane pulled Elsa to give him a hug and a pat on the back. She felt a similar presence with him in that moment, something that made her question his hidden agenda. Elsa didn't bother the thought at first.

"I was there during the bear incident. I'm really greatful for you taking care of that bear."

"It was no problem really."

"Never thought that a mage would help us. Not that I despise mages. It's just, not really many people accept them as of late." He crossed his arms, feeling impressed at the very sight of Elsa.

"Now, maybe I'll leave you two alone, I have some business to attend inside the inn. Can't make Erik do the work now, would we?" Mralki left them alone for a while. He headed into the inn soon after.

"So you saved Mralki's life? We actually have something in common." Elsa joked.

He got the joke. Saving Erik and Mralki, the blood. it would purely be a laugh when people come to think of it. Jouane just laughed and Elsa made a bit of a chuckle too.

"So, how did you save him?" She grinned. Something a face would do when one is persuading someone to tell the truth. She was the one crossing arms this time.

"Ah well—it's simple…err… Bandages, I guess." He rubbed his head, looking very embarrassed.

"Healing magic?" She then blurted out. Looking like she just won a steaked rabbit, hitting it with a bulls-eye. Of course, Jouane looked flabbergasted. Shocked. Awed. All those surprised look were written all over his face. He finally admitted.

"Aye, but please, don't tell anybody just yet. I've bonded with these people almost half of my entire life. They got to accept you because you are a hero. I'm just an old retired soldier. I don't know how they'll react in that big of a difference."

Elsa understood. As she'd always remember: Skyrim is a place where magic is tolerated only by a little. They'll only just accept axes and swords on their thick skin instead of using tricks and aces from who-knows-what mages do.

"Your secret is safe with me." She smiled. She held her hand on his shoulder, showing trust and honesty in her words.

"Thank you. Ah—that time already. What say we conclude this chat for now." He winked, and then chuckled a bit. He left her and went straight into his house.

Elsa looked up at the sky. It was getting pretty late. It was already dusk and shadows of light began to cloud the town with slow darkness. Sometime after walking towards the inn, she heard a panting and someone who was running. It was Sissel.

"I'm late… I'm late…" She mumbled.

Elsa stopped her.

"Whoah, whoah, hold on. What's the hurry?" She crouched at her level.

"I'm sorry Miss, I'm gonna be late soon!" She let loose and ran the other direction.

_Hmmm. _Elsa thought. She wanted to know what's up with her. She tried to follow Sissel who was rushed towards her destination, only to find out it was Jouane's home. After Sissel tried to knock on the front door, Elsa began to sneak around the back. Fortunately, the back window was open, so it was possible for her to see and hear everthing inside. When she sat down, it smelled of a simple home-made cabbage potato soup, a common delicacy to farmers. She peeked slightly and Jouane was cooking something until he opened the door for Sissel.

"Come on in." He was still stirring something on the cooking spit.

"Sorry I'm late Jouane." She eventually sat down, looking at his fragrant-smelling soup.

"It's all right, child. Come, have a taste of the food."

Of course, Sissel hurried and grabed a bowl in one of the cupboards. She then was given a spatula, serving herself some of the soup. She gobbled it down, liking every sip. Elsa felt she was really happy. After she finished her bowl, she grabbed a rag and wiped all the mess on her face.

"Jouane?" She was waving her legs back and forth.

"Yes, child?" He wondered.

"I was just wondering. Can you teach me fire magic now?"

Elsa felt shocked. She couldn't fathom the moment.

_So this was his secret._

Elsa couldn't express the words she wanted to say. It was an actual master and apprentice relationship right in her very eyes. She felt very proud of being a mage. Even if it thrives in this country, people are still willing to learn even a few. The thoughts in her head were flashing bit by bit. Suddenly, Jouane jumped out of his seat. She hunched down a bit lower.

"By the Eight! Keep your voice down! Someone might overhear us!"

"Oh I'm… I'm sorry to upset you." She frowned, guilty of the action she committed.

"Shh… It's okay child. It's okay. But we must be very careful of this… What I do for you. The others won't just understand. The mage who's staying at the inn might, but not the others."

"I'm sorry. I just got excited just by thinking about it. But… can we still do it?"

"Most certainly not! But I've got an idea." He placed a tray of lit candles from the far side of the room. He waved his hand a bit, and then all the fires in the tray went out.

"We can start by here." Jouane explained.

"Oooh, wonderful! I can't wait!" Sissel was very excited.

Elsa continued to peek for some moment more. Someone crept in to see what was happening. He felt it was amusing at first, but then Elsa spun around and was surprised to see the redhead peeking at the window too. He faced Elsa and jokingly smiled.

"Erik! What are you doing here!?" She exclaimed very quietly. Her breath was all but air, but one can really tell she was flustered, more on the point of petty anger.

"What? I thought it would be fun eavesdropping with you. Oh look, is that… Little Sissel?" He peeked at the window. He had that snicker of a child. Elsa did not mind his fiendish appeal. She smacked his shoulders, but just very lightly. It was hurtful enough to attract attention.

"Ow!" He then crouched down. He rubbed his shoulders because of the lingering hurt. It left out a small red mark.

"Just get out of here!" She then sighed. Her tone was still soft, almost empty.

"Ok! Ok! See you at the inn later." He chuckled a bit, but very quietly. He then stood up and left.

* * *

_The Oppressor_

It was again, another sunny day at Rorikstead. The cool breeze air was fitting enough for Elsa to go outside for some breather. Unfortunately, all were too busy doing the routine jobs in the farms. She tried to start the day by strolling down the road, waving at the locals who were happy enough to see her.

While strolling along, she heard a faint crying. It was very similar to the one before, but this time, there was a voice of an adult in the scene. She took a look around to see where the voices were coming from, until she finally realized it was coming from one of the farms. She hurried herself from pacing. She glanced at a little girl, crying, and an older man, who looked most likely his father.

_Oh, Sissel._

The man was scolding little Sissel. She had no choice but to accept the torture. Elsa couldn't stand this. Before, she couldn't do anything. But now, the sight of this will make anyone spring into action.

"Hey!" Elsa approached the man.

"What? Who are you!?" He had one of his eyebrows raised, he was gazing at Elsa, trying to remember when he'd met her. then continued speaking.

"Ah, that girl from the bear attack."

"What did she do wrong?"

"None of your business." He shrugged her off his mind.

"Look, I'm just trying to help. Sissel is a mistreated young girl. If you—"

"She hadn't been plucking out the weeds! This brat has been playing with that old bugger for weeks now. Think I haven't noticed, huh?" He stopped her mouth from speaking.

"Hmph. Children. I've got enough troubles, so don't go adding them. Or else."

"Or else what?" Someone behind Elsa walked in. There was utter silence in the air as the two recognized him as Mralki. Of course, Sissel was still crying. The air around them made it more intense.

"These times, I think you're the coldest man in Skyrim, Lemkil. This is your own flesh and blood you're talking about." He gave him a very cold stare, something that might even intimidate all the Jarls of Skyrim, even making them shudder with fear.

Elsa sighed, then watched little Sissel. She was no longer crying, but there were still tears pouring slowly in her eyes.

At this point, Lemkil was already at a loss. He let out a huff. He couldn't have beaten them both in a fight of words. He just left and didn't utter a word. Sissel was left alone already. She became glad.

"Thank you again, miss." She said, while wiping her tears away.

Elsa crouched down, hugging her tightly. The feeling of warmth made her feel happy. She then loosened the grip, holding both hands in Sissel's shoulders.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Elsa moved away the hair that was blocking Sissel's eyes.

"Yes, it's always like this. But I have no choice. It's a good thing Jouane takes care of me from time to time."

"Speaking of which, I think you should stay in his home for a while. I'll inform Lemkil about her later." Mralki added.

"Thanks." Elsa said. "For Everything."

"For What? This? This has been going on for quite awhile now. I'm surprised he's still keeping his daughters." He breathed out a sigh of relief. His next set of words was a bit darker than usual.

"His wife had died of childbirth. He's been blaming them all this time." His eyes were blankly gazing at something, which Elsa didn't know.

"You are a great father to Erik. I know he wouldn't bear shame and regret on you." This made him jump out of his random thought and looked at Elsa.

"Heh. Well yeah." He looked up at the sky. "Well, better be going. There's a lot of tending to do in my food stock. See you at the inn later." He waved goodbye to the two.

"Now, let's find Jouane so he could take care of you. Maybe I'll come by and visit. I've been hearing a lot about his famous cabbage-potato soup." Elsa smiled and winked. Sissel was a bit shocked because Jouane always makes that dinner when they are going to have some magic training.

"Elsa… You know?"

"I'm a mage. And I know a good apprentice when I see one." She pointed at Sissel's nose, tickling it. They both made a laugh. Of course, she had known this incident since she began eavesdropping the two of them on some nights. Sissel would never know anyways.

"Come on. Let's go." They both strolled along the path as Elsa held little Sissel's hands.


	9. His First Adventure

_Tirdas, 10__th__ day in Sun's Dawn, 4E 204_

It was again, another typical day in Rorikstead. The farmers were always ever so busy digging the ground and planting seeds since after the harvest they made a couple of days ago. Mralki was tending the inn because some passersby wanted to stay for the night.

Elsa was reading a book she tried to bring along while strolling along the path. She caught sight of Erik, who was already sweating with effort. He was pushing a grain mill.

"Mind if I help?" She pocketed her book into her ever-so-trustful satchel.

"Heh. I wouldn't want a woman like you breaking a sweat from work." He huffed as he still continued to twist the contraption manually.

"Don't underestimate me just because I can only lift books." She unrolled her sleeves, showing off her pale unblemished skin.

Erik moved to create a space for her. Elsa gripped the stick firmly.

"Ready?" Both of them huffed as they tried to push together the wheat-grinder. It was definitely faster than usual. They made quick work of the wheat. Revolution after revolution, they placed another stack in and continued pushing.

"Why didn't -_huff- _you guys just -_huff- _build windmills? It would be less tedious if -_huff- _you just built one." Elsa was staggering, but she still wanted to keep the up pace of Erik's footing. His muscles weren't just for show anyways.

"Welp, we don't have enough septims to actually build one. Besides, it's a good way to build up the old arms and legs." Erik said without catching a breath. It was pretty impressive compared to what Elsa can only do.

"I don't mean to offend but, you really shouldn't be doing this." Erik continued.

"Why not?"

"Because, I am a farmer. It's what I do best. And by the looks of it, what you do worst." He jokingly said.

She removed her grip on the handle, feeling insulted. Then, She got an idea and thought of something very interesting. Erik stopped his pacing as he wondered why she had a smug on her face.

"So you think you're all strong with pushing that thing all day, huh_?" _She grabbed her waist.

"Uh, where are you going with this?"

"If you really are strong as you think, then how about a little _sightseeing... _Shall we?"

"Uhh..?" He became confused.

"You know I'm going to drag you into this whether you like it or not."

"Wait, what?"

"C'mon, just trust me." She pulled his arms, dragging him to where she's going. His face went all blushed, she didn't notice as she was very excited to the excursion. He doesn't know what type of business he got dragged into, but she trusted Elsa nonetheless. There was something about her that you can trust. He didn't know what it is at the moment, but there's just something about her…

"H-hey what're you doing?"

She pushed the door slightly. Luckily, the creak wasn't that noisy to attract attention. A little light bounced inside. She peeked. Mralki wasn't inside at the moment. And all the hunters were sound asleep. She then opened the door wholly.

"Wait here." She quietly said. He looked at her as she tried to sneak inside Erik's room.

"Hey! That's my room!" He said with a very low tone.

"It'll only be a moment."

"Can't I just get my own stuff without you sneaking in?"

"Tch. No fun." She smirked while she crossed her arms.

Erik was pretty much a private person. And he didn't want anyone searching around his room to find his undergarments lying around, especially when a girl finds it.

A couple of minutes later, she caught sight of Erik. Again, he didn't have any armor strapped, but he changed into a more adventurous garments. He sported a green tunic clothing and hide boots, sword hanging from his belt, and bow behind his back. He has loaded his quiver with only few arrows.

"My father will scream at me if he sees me on this without permission." He sighed.

"We'll just have to sneak outside of town."

They went outside. The two of them hid behind each and every passing house they encounter. No sooner than later, they've managed to get out of town without being seen by anyone. They were out on the road westward.

"Where are we going exactly?" He pondered.

Elsa took out a map and read it. She was pointing at a scrubbed red mark on her map.

"A mine. Soljund's Sinkhole? It's rumoured to be haunted with the dead."

"We're going _there_!?" He felt shocked as ever. Who knew he was dragged into this. He could've worn better equipment so it would be much safer. But somewhere around his mind, he thought of something very exciting.

_Adventure._

His heart began racing. He was gripping the hilt of his sword nervously. He had always hunted out in the plains for some deer and rabbit meat. But he honestly never went on excursions like these.

"This is actually my first time adventuring." He finally confessed. He felt a bit queasy whilst telling her the truth. Elsa, on the other hand, broke out of laughter. After a few seconds she tried to cover her mouth, but there were still a few short bursts that couldn't be held.

"I'm sorry, I just never knew."

Erik felt a bit embarrassed. With all his life trying to get permission from his father, he spent his waiting days sleeping, eating, and farming. And the cycle continues. But now, an opportunity has been given to him. Everyone starts out at first. With the situation now, he was glad he could experience this at least once.

"Hey, everyone starts out at first, right?" She said.

Elsa took the words right out of his mind, as if she was reading his. Or maybe it's just weird coincidence. He let out a chuckle and just shrugged. To whatever her intentions were, He just seemed to be very glad to ride the experience firsthand with her.

_Wait, did it just sounded wrong?_

* * *

She was a bit ahead of him as she strolled along the path. She exchanged glances with him from time to time to check if he was there. As she faced forward again, she began to blush a bit by bit. Her hands are trembling a bit. Out of fear? No. Something else. Again with her usual prospect, she looked again behind her back.

_Oh, what am I doing? Why am I staring at him?_

Of course, she might have the clear answer, but she just couldn't jump to conclusions right away. Her thoughts just rubbed off as she saw a mining area at the bottom of the hill. They both climbed down. Beside the entrance, there was a small huddle of people, primarily two miners and a couple of guard patrollers in the area.

"Look lads, we already sent a person to request for reinforcements. They'll be here by sundown." Her voice was muffled by the sound of the helmet she's wearing. They were arguing about some kind of force going inside the mine.

"Well if you can't we'll clean it up ourselves." The Breton said. He had strange markings on his face, a war tattoo of some sort. He was also accompanied by a kinsmen who wore almost the same clothes. They both have a miner's outfit and a belt which strapped a pickaxe.

Erik felt hesitant to butt in just that. But Elsa felt otherwise.

"It's too dangerous." She stepped forward. All were baffled, including Erik who let out a small _"Hey-" ._ The guards and the miners looked behind, facing a petite young woman of Nord kind. She was hiding her complexion in the hood, but one can tell she was pale and white. Some of her blonde hair is sticking out.

"I have a proposition. One that both of you will agree with." She never greeted. But her smile was a good gesture enough.

_Boy, I sure do love propositions. _She thought.

"How about me and my accomplice clear up this mine? The guards will call off the reinforcements, so that there'll be no more additional problems, and you guys can even take back this place before sundown." She managed to pull off a brilliant strategy, one that a smart person couldn't even refuse. It was really a nice idea, even she herself was impressed.

"O-of course." The Breton seemed hesitant at first because he'll trust an unknown stranger, who just happens to waltz in, and out of nowhere found a brilliant idea to solve both of their problems. With deep thought and a clear mind, he stuck to his decision.

"Okay then." The group of guards also nodded in response of the idea.

"We'll be expecting a reward too."

"Y-yes, of course. That could be easily arranged. Also, if you want more, you can pick up any treasure inside. Probably because why draugrs woke up in their sleep."

* * *

_Wait. Did he just said…. Draugr?_

Erik trembled. He was just unsure of what he said, but it just gave him that uncomfortable feeling. Every child knows the horrors of the undead. They always were the bedtime stories parents use to say so kids won't run off into the night. His father recalled fending off with a couple of draugrs along his journey. Of course, he wasn't a child anymore. But realizing to actually face one…

His thoughts trailed off as Elsa snapped her fingers in front of him.

"Hey, hey. C'mon now, don't go dazing on me now. We haven't even started yet." She chuckled.

"Ah, sorry. I was just lost in thought." He replied while rubbing his head.

"C'mon, let's go inside. Here, take this torch." She handed him an unlit torch. She chanted some incantations, making her hand glow with red. After a moment, it ignited with fire. He got spooked and backed away for a bit, but later regained his posture.

"Don't you need yours?"

Elsa just laughed. It took a few moments after she replied back.

"Don't worry, I can handle on my own. Besides you have light in yours."

They both stepped inside the dark. The light of the outside seemed fade darker and darker and the faces of the people who were on the entrance were already obstructed by the tons of rocks in view. The only light provided was on his torch and some lanterns that still have some fire on them.

They both crept in slowly. She lead the way so obviously, she was ahead of him. As they dwelled deeper into the mine, things became quieter than it seemed. They walked on stony grounds to wooden boards and platforms that twisted the pathway, almost like a maze. Seemingly, you can hear a few trickles of water echoing in the walls of the mine. The air was very dense and humid, making Elsa remove her hood due to the heat. Erik also sweated on his tunic.

After a few paces they heard some snaps of the tongue, almost as if gibberish on them. They hunched down together. He felt her almost clinging to him, which made him a bit unfocused. He stared at her golden strands of hair dangling on midair. She wasn't paying attention at all, looking concerned for the fact that they maybe on danger. All until she spoke.

"Draugr. I've only encountered once on Morrowind." She pointed at the far end of the tunnel. If one could squint enough

His senses came too. He was very surprised that she had seen one in person, and that was not even on Skyrim land. He felt embarrassed that he only knew them from the childhood stories he'd heard when he was young.

"They have those too there?"

"Of course, Nords live in Morrowind too, you know. Even cultists practiced something like this in the ancient times. At least, that's what I read about in the books."

He again, found himself flustered. He knows what was going in the mind of Elsa. She may have also guessed that they were thinking the same thing. She made a proud grin.

"Not so undermining for people who carry books on her spare time now, eh?"

"I never said anything about _undermining._"

It was all a share of laughter and jokes until an undead snapped in behind Elsa. It made a weird choking noise and wielded a very crooked sword up high. As it swished down, Elsa managed to evade it almost barely. Erik quickly drew his bow in retaliation, but Elsa, who was grounded, instantly let out two burst of fireballs that singed the draugr into dust.

_That was quick_. It must've been one of the weaker ones, Erik deduced.

With too much noise the spell created, it attracted the attention of another draugr who was slowly approaching. It almost caught Elsa off guard as she was trying to recover to her feet.

Senses slowed down, he drew out an arrow and loaded it on his bow. He quickly shot the arrow straight to the forehead on the coming draugr. It instantly staggered a bit. This was an opportunity to load out another arrow and shot it again. The undead is really dead this time.

"Wow, you're a natural." She complimented. Erik couldn't say anything actually. He just nodded with a little blush. Something felt right that moment. Something to confirm what he's actually feeling the first time they've met. Unfortunately, it was really high time to think about that. More draugr were incoming.

Elsa mostly swept the whole forces with her offensive magic. Erik on the other hand, tried to shoot anything that comes behind her. In some cases, he had to bring out his sword when the situation arises. But that barely happens. When they walk through open areas, a group of the draugr were always situated in it. Archers were the tricky part. Since some of them are on higher ground, she has to cover herself behind walls while Erik tries to finish them off. Particularly, they dropped down on the infamous sinkhole itself, which was crawling with the undead. They even encountered a trap with a hail of arrows. Very luckily, they've managed to evade it all, and tried a different approach. It was practically a clean sweep down until the end of the cave. Upon reaching at the end of the cave, they encountered a not so typical draugr in a not so typical area.

The draugr was wearing a really old Nordic helmet and a battleaxe.

"That must be their leader." Erik said.

"Let's try to sneak in?"

"Ok."

"Wait before anything…" She glowed her hands with various colors.

Of course, they have to be prepared. She focused her mind a bit. After a few seconds her palms were facing Erik's and a weird glow suddenly surrounded Erik. Much to his surprise, he felt he could take all of Skyrim.

Elsa did something to herself too. She casted a muffling spell that makes her fleet-footed. There was another spell that also made Erik a bit concerned. Her pale skin started to look like brown and ugly. It thickened and looked almost some sort of wooden plating. He started to feel queasy.

_Ugh. This is why I didn't want to do magic. Give me an axe anyday._

With all that said and done, they sneaked inside.

They reached a good spot for a sneak attack. Good thing the draugr overlord didn't see them yet. As he was to draw out an arrow to shoot the undead, she stood up front and let out her hands, creating a field of energy. There was a fireball coming from one of the statues that hang on the ceiling. Luckily, she turned on her Ward spell to soak up all the magic.

"It senses us." She said.

"What do we do now? We've blown our cover." With everything that has happened, the draugr managed to finally feel their presence. And it was coming towards them fast.

Elsa changed her set of spells. She let out an icy burst of cold air into the draugr, staggering it and slowing it down. But she was left unprotected. A fireball was produced again in one of the ceiling statues. As it was about to hit Elsa, Erik swooped her out of the way.

"Look out!"

They both stumbled into the ground. Both recovered from their feet quickly.

"Agh!" Erik hissed in pain. Elsa looked at her back to see what was going on. She turned him around and saw a huge portion of his back singed. The back of his tunic was burnt to ashes and left a big hole exposing his burnt flesh. He wasn't wearing any protective armor, so it left him completely vulnerable from any type of attack.

"By the divines…" She felt horrified. But her conscience wanted to finish the draugr off before she could do anything.

"Stay here." She continued.

"But I still can—"

"No, you're already hurt!"

There is no time to argue and she immediately went out of their hiding spot. The overlord was approaching towards Elsa. It swung its axe, she evaded by ducking down. She recovered quickly and let out another mist of ice. The draugr was completely slowed down. She then changed the glow of her hands into a more icy blue. She let out shards of ice that struck the draugr's feet and arms. With much force, it disarmed the draugr. But there was something still making the undead fight. It inhaled deeply and let out a fierce roar.

_FUS-RO-DAH!_

There was a great wave of force that Elsa felt. She tried to maintain balance, but the force was too much. She was blasted from the floor and straight into a wall. The impact was too intense; she became unconscious and fell down the floor. The draugr slowly approached Elsa. Still, the ice weren't melting in its arms and legs, and it struck really deep. As it was coming closer, it was struck with an arrow. And another. And another. And just like that, it fell down like a ragdoll.

Erik did not felt anything aside from the loud voice because he was back against a wall cover. He already ran out of arrows so basically, if anymore would come, he'll be dead soon enough.

"Elsa! Elsa! Wake up!" He shook her.

There was a short mumble.

"Thank the Nine…"

* * *

_Wobble, wobble, bump_

Elsa's eyes blinked several times and tried to regain consciousness. While her eyes were trying to recuperate, she sensed it was already nightfall. There was a lot of cricking noise made by the animals. And there was darkness surrounding them except for a torchlight hovering in front of Erik. It looked like one of the guardsmen earlier. She was wobbling a bit, her arms dangling forward and her head was laid on crimson red hair. Her legs were seemingly carried by strong rugged arms, similarly to a piggy-back ride. He was carrying her on his back.

_His back_.

Her eyes widened and hovered slowly backward. Erik didn't notice. He thought that she was just moving in her sleep. He still wore the damaged tunic, but there was nothing inside but bandages wrapped around his torso.

"Erik…"

He stopped.

"Oh, you're already awake."

"Erik… your back…" She was still a bit groggy.

"No, it's okay. I've had it bandaged so I actually can't feel a thing. Oh and also, I requested one of the guardsmen to accompany us back to Rorikstead." He pointed with his head.

"No, it might get infected." She was back to herself again. She unsaddled herself from Erik's back. She knew she can handle herself from that point on. She wobbled a bit. Her legs were a bit numb.

"Whoah, whoah, hey there." He held up her arms as she tried to walk upright again.

"Erik, I saw everything. It was badly hurt."

"I told you its fine."

"Please?"

_Sigh._

He couldn't resist her concerned eyes. Erik started to un-wrap the bandages, revealing his firm, exposed body. A large portion of his back was badly scathed.

"Oh no, this won't do." Elsa reacted.

She glowed her hands with light. This time it has a warm and inviting feeling. She stretched her arms, touching the injury of his back. It was not painful as Erik would've imagined. Energy surrounded Erik and it made him feel better. It was his first time being healed magically. He wanted to oppose it, but it sure is very comforting.

_Thud_

Erik suddenly looked backwards. Elsa was on the ground, collapsed out of exhaustion. She did a number to those draugrs, but he didn't notice it consumed a lot of energy from her. He carried her to his arms.

"I'm fine… I'm just tired and all…"

She seemed so well when she got up and stood by herself. Maybe it was one of those "out-of-desperation" thing he always learned about.

"Sir—" The guard uttered a word, his face was in awe.

"What?"

"Your scars… It clotted…"

Much to the guard's point of view, a once destroyed flesh was instantly recovered only by a few seconds. Though there were still burnt marks on his back, it wasn't as gruesome as before. Erik touched his back, looking for an ache or a touch that would pain him. But he only felt numbness.

"Ah, magic is a very powerful thing, right?"

Elsa, who was almost unconscious from fatigue, tried to touch him, but her hands ultimately fell into the ground.

"Don't…Strain…"

"Shh… Don't strain yourself too."

He carried her again on his recovered back. It took a couple of minutes for her to finally fall asleep. By the time the three got into Rorikstead, it was almost midnight.

Overlooking Rorikstead, there was a lot of light flickering in the darkness. Torches. Some were moving about in the streets, and some in the nearby farms and meadows. He went by as he carried Elsa with him. There was a huddle of people in the center of the village. They were complaining and arguing about something. Erik couldn't understand because of the multiple voices mashed up together. One spoke up very loudly.

"Look! There he is!"

To their surprise, they looked behind them and saw a just-as-surprised Erik with one of the guardsmen behind them who was not even reacting to the situation. A sudden push of the people in the way, Mralki appeared in front of Erik.

"Thank the Divines! Oh, what happened?"

He was just about to hug Erik, but he saw an unconscious Elsa riding on her back. He immediately lent her down and called Jouane on the scene. He implied to take her to his house for medical attention. She started to fade out of sight after a group of people started carrying her towards Jouane's house. He looked back to Erik.

"What the hell have you been doing? Look at you!"

Yes, he's already a bit dirty. Not farmer dirty, but adventure dirty. He gained flesh wounds, dirt on his face, and most especially, the burnt marks on his back.

"I'm really sorry Dad, it was my fault. I wanted to accompany Els—"

"So you've really done it, didn't you?"

"I know Dad! But please, just understand…"

"And this is what you've learned." He pointed to Erik, as if a symbolism of damage.

"I've already grown! I'm tired of being a simple farmer! I want an adventure of my own!" He was clenching his fists with rage.

Mralki paused. He didn't have anything to say. He simply looked away.

"This conversation is now over."

"But Dad…"

Mralki already turned his back and went straight to the inn.

* * *

The next morning, Elsa woke up feeling groggy. She was in bed. Her eyes distorted everything in view, but after a moment of regaining vision, she saw Erik looking at her.

"Glad to see you're okay." He smiled.

"What happened? Last thing I remembered, I passed out…" She rubbed her eyes.

"Don't worry, with the healing and the potions Jouane gave me, I won't sustain any fatal injury."

"Ah, that's good." She lied in bed again, staring at the ceiling. Erik was waiting for her to speak, but she was just glaring at empty space.

"Anyways, while you were knocked-out cold by the draugr, I managed to pick something up." He grabbed a glass sword that was gleaming with magic.

"I don't know what it does, but I think you can identify it once you get up to your feet again." Elsa chuckled a bit and smiled. He still was continuing the conversation.

"The miners already gave the reward. I'm surprised that it was a hefty amount of coin."

"Oh, how much?" Elsa finally replied.

"Two-hundred septims."

"Keep it."

His mouth widened with a big 'o'. He was surprised to Elsa's words. Two-hundred septims was actually a big amount. For an ordinary person, you can already have two or three weeks' worth of food supplies.

"B-but, why?" He blurted out.

"It's your first adventure. You deserved it."

_Ah, adventure._

Something in his heart made him feel both excited and uneasy. One, for the fact that this is what adventuring feels like. The rewards weren't at all what he'd imagined. It was far higher than that. And he'd gain a lot of experience just by exploring through a mine. The other, was father's denial over everything he did the day before.

Elsa noticed Erik's uneasiness and slumped up to a sitting position, lying on the headboard.

"Is there something wrong?"

It took a moment of thoughts before Erik could reply in his situation.

"My… Dad got furious that I'd run off like that." His tone became low in more of a sad tone.

"Oh I see…"

Elsa wondered, was this it? The thing that Mralki neglected to tell to her? It was becoming clear now. Mralki didn't want Erik going off into the world of perilous places. He mentioned something along the lines of "losing Erik like his mother did to him.".

"Don't worry, I know you'll come in good terms again."

"I just hope so." His eyes became glad. He smiled at Elsa. He's just glad that she was there to comfort him. It gave off a warm feeling to him.

Elsa offered her hand to him. She can't reach Erik because she still needed a bit more rest before she can stand up again. Erik hovered forward in his seat and took her hand, holding it firmly as he can and took the opportunity to feel the warmth of her hand in his own.

* * *

**A/N : Hurray, a really (in my opinion) long chapter; possibly the longest one I can make in this whole story. I don't know I got really imaginative over this one. Please R&R!**


	10. Festival of Hearts

_Morndas 16__th__ day in Sun's Dawn, 4E 204_

"Wake up."

She grumbled. Someone was calling out her name. She tossed to the other side of the bed. No use. It didn't budge. A voice was still trying to wake her up. After a few more attempts, he sighed. It was an uneventful pause, but he slightly shook her. When that sensation occurred, Elsa suddenly flashed her eyes open. An intruder maybe? No, the voice was too familiar. She can't recall where that voice came from, but it was doubtfully a thief. She slowly turned over to the bed, facing the room this time.

She saw a person with red hair. It was all a blur since she was just waking up. But she knows who he is. She threw the straw pillow to him.

"H-hey…" He chuckled slightly, while ducking for cover, evading the almost _fatal _shot to the head.

_Damn it. I'm not even dressed._

She was only wearing a blouse and cotton pants, typical clothing when she is sleeping casually. He is almost always like this during the early hours of the morning. Ever since that incident at Soljund's, he's been coming to check on Elsa's condition. Jouane, a medical expert, insisted her on staying for a few days in bed due to severe exhaustion. Her report about collapsing while healing Erik confirmed his theory: She did not notice her mana wading, and still continued using magic; Up to the point that she used a part of her life force in order to keep going. This is a rare syndrome amongst mages. Usually, mages feel tired when they overexert themselves in combat. In a rare situation, a mage may not feel fatigued at all. But in the long run, they collapse into exhaustion. Some lingering effects may still be felt if one used magic after the trauma, so it was wise that one should rest and should completely be devoid of using magic at all.

Of course, she wasn't happy at all when she learned about her condition. That mighty roar of the draugr rendered her bones almost broken and might have triggered the exhaustion trauma. Her sessions of her healing process were a very slow one. Drinking nasty tasting potions, wrapping her body with bandages, it was like the bandit situation all over again.

She could walk around town but not without any supervision. Erik volunteered to look out for Elsa. Going out of Rorikstead is a bad idea since she's not fully recovered. So they go for leisurely strolls around the farmlands which becomes a part of her exercise routine in her road to recovery.

"So, what are we gonna do today?" She got up very slowly. She was shaking a bit, Erik held out a hand. She wanted to decline, thinking she could do it on her own, but her feet couldn't say no.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Uhmm…" Elsa said. Her face was blushing a bit. She was facing at her robes on the dresser.

"Ah. Sorry."

Without a moment's notice, Erik left the room. It was pretty embarrassing for a woman to change clothes with a man inside. He leaned back at the door, waiting for her to get dressed. He had his arms and legs crossed as he patiently waits.

"What day is it today?" Elsa's voice was muffled because of the closed walls. There was a rumbling noise in the room. He wondered what woman could make a ruckus inside a room while getting dressed. That's Elsa for her.

"It's the sixteenth."

Elsa was putting her robes on which was proves difficulty from time to time. First she had to tuck in all her inner tunic (including the long sleeves) together then the robe itself. After that is the mantle around her neck. She then wore her boots. Then she wrapped the belt strap to finish everything off. There was dirt on the lower regions of her garment. She tried to wipe some off, only cleaning it a little.

_Ah, that was tedious._ She let out a brief sigh.

* * *

Erik noticed the pause inside the room. He stood tall again and faced the door. He knocked.

"Are you done?"

The door opened. Her face was the first thing he caught eye on. She was all prepped up; her hair was arranged neatly as it dropped to her shoulders. Her Nord skin was glistening as ever. He had seen her many times like this, though it never occurred to him to fathom her presence for an ample amount of time. He gulped and wanted to utter a word, but none came out.

"You look… beautiful." He finally uttered.

_What? _She thought. She began to chuckle to think if it was a joke. Her hand nobly covered her mouth in an urge to resist laughing.

"I dress like this almost all the time. What nonsense is circling in your head?"

She thought that he may be flirting with her a bit. In a game of courtship, one often should rain the partner with overwhelming compliments and nice gestures in order to win the partner's heart. She noticed he's been staring a lot at her. She didn't mind at first, but the growing days his heartwarming stares of his green eyes started to attract her as well.

"Ah, sorry to have offended you. Shall we prepare for the festival's celebration? There'll be a lot of waywards visiting by nightfall."

"Festival?" She wondered. She never went to any yearly festivities because she hardly ever encountered them. Either she was on a middle of a journey that she can't celebrate it, or she was too busy studying to ever be reminded by it. This is also the reason she never knew any festivities to begin with. She only knew one, but she knew it had already passed. Back when she was at Morrowind, she always celebrated the event with her parents. It always partakes on the first day of the new year, symbolizing a clean slate of everything you've done in the past, making it up in the present and planning ahead on the future.

"Certainly it's not New Life's." She continued. New Life's festival was celebrated a month ago. And the reason why she didn't celebrate it was because of the latter problem she mentioned. She was in the College that time, thus she was unable to go to the town due to her insane amount of paperwork and duties.

"It's Hearts Day. I think this year, we're going to host it in all of Whiterun Hold."

_Did you really mean Hearts Day?_ She thought. A day for the lovers? It's very uneventful. Her thoughts swirled around her head as it began to clear up all the questions.

_So this is what he's up to._ She figured. Hearts Day: A lover's festival. Something he might take a chance in order for him to win her heart. Of course, she loved the idea of it all, and she wanted to do something special for Erik too.

"I think it's a celebration for Septim's mother and his lover. Legends say that two lovers will bring springtime in Tamriel again." He continued.

"So this is…" She said. It was all too clear what his motives were. She just wanted to confirm the idea he is formulating.

"If you want, then yes." So it is a courtship.

"Ahh.." Her face blushed and looked away. She was a hopeless romantic. Even if she was the most prominent wizard of all, she is still a young woman. She couldn't resist any form of courtship especially to a man whose has a distinguished face and strong build. Even though he was a farmer, so what? In any event, she could live a life of peace from it all.

She was… starting to fall in love again.

From all her thoughts, Erik's index finger tilted her chin towards him. He almost flexed and leaned towards her face, but he stretched back the moment she hesitated. He raised a brow in question of the situation, but he smiled nonchalantly.

"I want to prove myself to you." His emerald green eyes stared to her very soul. It was all too attracting. His hand then reached for hers. "Come, let's prepare for tonight's celebration." He then smiled.

"O-okay." Her face was really stammered. He dragged her the same way as she dragged him going to Soljund's.

"H-hey wait—" She almost started to laugh at the thought of role reversal.

* * *

It was already afternoon by the time the townsfolk finished setting up the almost aesthetical decorations. Civilians from almost all the corners of Whiterun Hold were there to celebrate the festival. The road is teeming with merchants that settled with straw or leather mats and bystanders which particularly were busy with their own stuff. The town was now bustling with random noises like the shouting of traders and people conversing with each other. It was almost like a big town if one should look at it. The whole land of Rorikstead wasn't able to accommodate all the visitors they had. Some of them are already settling beyond the houses. The number of guards has increased due to this situation and is on high alert to make sure that no simple bandit raid will disrupt the festivities. Only something worse could.

Elsa and Erik were together, which means having some of the discounts and all the other perks the merchants gave to couples. They were looking at bands and necklaces this certain trader-priest was selling. He said he ventured way over Riften in order to help the orphans in their town. He was selling all kinds of blessed trinkets and oddities, even amulets of the Divines. There were Akatosh's, Dibella's, even Talos'. One of which piqued his interest. It was that copper-ornated pendant with a bright blue gem stud on the center.

"Erik! Come here!" To his surprise, he thought that she was still beside him. Elsa gestured to have a look-see on books and tomes that a Redguard was selling. He seemed hesitant at first, because he was attempting to buy some of the bands from the merchant.

"I'll be right there. I'm just looking for something over here."

Elsa's eyes were glistening almost like a twinkling star when she saw an abundance of books piled up in the table. There were at least thirty books that are waiting for Elsa's eyes to read.

"Ah. Beggar Prince! Oh look what's this? Oh goodness, is this the Yellow Book of Riddles? Ah, and Barenziah's book!"

She was muttering every title and completely delved into every book she wanted to buy. Alas, she left her satchel hidden in one of the safe Mralki offered from Rorik for safekeeping all the villager's possessions. She didn't have much septims to spare so she bought only two books. One of which is entitled _The Beggar Prince_. The other is _The Legend of Red Eagle._ All of which are very good books to read in her pastime.

"Oh, books eh?" Erik appeared right behind her shoulder.

"Yes, there are training books here too." She pointed at one of the stacks in the table.

"Is there anything that helps me with the bow?"

She leaned in closer to the book pile and rummaged through it. She saw a particular book with a blue cover. She handed it over to him.

"It's entitled: _The Marksmanship Lesson_. Read it. I think you'll learn something there. It's also a bit costly than all the other books."

He checked the price. It was hefty, but he can still afford it.

"All right. Here."

After the trade they both strolled along the path, checking for everything they've bought and then putting everything on Erik's bag that was strapped on his back. Elsa was quietly humming a tune. Something Erik wouldn't ever dare to stop as he tried to listen to it.

"So, what did you bought instead of the book?" She stopped her humming. It was quite saddening for Erik, but at least there's something to chat about.

"Ah. Well… Only this." He put out his hand and showed her a plain silver ring attached in his pointing finger. "I wonder if you can tell me its properties."

"Okay. Let me take a look." She took his hand and observed at the ring very carefully. His rough hands were slightly heavier than she would have imagined. She took notice of the blush Erik made when she held his hand.

"Oh, it's a good one. It helps you avoid common sickness, like fever or rockjoints. Though, I doubt a healthy man like you need it." She said, which made Erik chuckle.

"You're never too careful." They both laughed until they can laugh no more. After the last breath huffed, they looked up at the sky and noticed the sun is setting. Their leisurely walk stopped.

"It's almost nightfall. We better head back." Erik said.

"Okay sure."

* * *

That night, everyone gathered near the bonfire. Normally, there were tables with mugs and ales spread all throughout the open. Everyone was enjoying their time in the festival, and it brought a good mood. The townsfolk were merrily clapping as partners were hopping and dancing the night away. It was a simple folk dance, consisting of four step squares as the partners faced sideways to each other. Some dances were fast and some were slow, depending on the tune of the bard's lyre. Erik and Elsa sat next to each other on the ground, not minding the dirt they'll receive later. They were spectating random people who were having the time of their lives. Gallivanting as the folks were, he thought of a crazy idea. He stood up to the ground and held out a hand.

"What are you doing?" Her tone became solid and stiff. _Oh, the role reversal will be going downhill from now on._ She became puzzled, although she already knows the idea of what they'll do; the feeling just didn't sink into her yet. _No, no. No. I can't do this._ She was too embarrassed. Her eyes dimmed as she thought of the utter horror of her immensely bad dancing.

"Trust me on this." He gave a sly smile as he quickly grabbed Elsa's hand. His strength undermines her resistance and she was immediately swooped from her seat.

"Oh Divines, I don't dance!" Her face started to blush as some of the people already noticed that they were about to do something explicitly awkward. Erik, on the other hand, did not pay heed of her denial of the situation. _He is a shameless fool._ She had no choice but to willingly accept. Erik went to the bard and whispered something to him, stopping his chorus. He then gave him a couple of septims and went back to Elsa.

They positioned themselves on the edge of the crowd, standing sideways to each other. Their hands both touched their palms as they wait for the next tune to be strung. Still, some of the villagers took notice of them, like Jouane and Ennis. Elsa took a quick glance to every stranger looking.

"I think I'm going to regret this…" She whispered to him. She was about to puke all her guts out until the bard's lyre struck a low chord. It was a slow song. The melody wasn't too lively but it was inviting. It somehow attracted the attention of all the bystanders, which made her all the queasier. Everyone's hands also touched the palms of their partners. She had heard this tune before; it was a common courtship dance she used to hear whenever she's at a random inn. Sometimes, couples who stayed at the inn do this dance whenever bards play it.

When the appropriate chord was strung, they started dancing. Erik moved effortlessly as they circled around each other. Elsa, on the other hand, wobbled like a horker desperately trying to get to sea. From time to time, she stepped on his foot which made him groan in pain. She apologized every time she did it. Mostly, Erik saved her from tripping and did most of the dancing for her. Even though she was bad at it, she enjoyed the time she spent with him. As their eyes were glued to each other, time slowed down as they hopped, skipped and clapped at the sound of the music. No sooner than later the slow beat became faster and merrier, just as the song's supposed to be. They laughed and chuckled as the song became livelier.

"You're getting good at this." Erik implied. She barely noticed, but it was true. Only a few minutes of dancing, she hardly tripped nor wobbled. She was dancing gracefully. Her hands and feet flowed like air. She was a quick learner. Eventually people started to take notice of her. _Too bad I'm already taken_ as she would greedily say. Elsa was enjoying herself to take heed of the matter. She smiled as she glanced at her partner. He was doing very well all on his own.

As the tune was finally about to end, they closed in on each other. He was holding her hip and she wrapped her arms in his shoulders. Her heartbeat started pumping faster as her eyes were glued to his and him the same way back. She was completely under a spell. Not really a spell of books and dusty tomes, but it was a different kind. And she felt good. He slowly leaned in; she accepted the invitation as she placed a hand on his cheek. Their lips were almost inches away from each other until her senses started to get tense. She was hearing a lot of voices from the crowd. The song started to get louder and louder. As the loudest tune struck to end the song, her hand jolted and pulled away from his face. The sparking moment faded and he leaned back again. He still smiled at her even though a kiss was never made.

_Oh stupid, stupid, stupid! _Her thoughts formed around her head. She was all happy on the outside, but inside it struck her like a lightning bolt. It was maddening to not feel those lips she wanted to have. At first, it was all on curiosity. She had been feeling this all day with him. Now, with everything that had happened, she wanted to know. But alas, she was afraid to fall to the hook first.

As their hands were almost about to part, Erik's hands held strong on hers. It was a tightening grip almost to a point of greedy possession.

"I have one last thing to do for you before we end this day." He smiled.

"What is it?"

"It's a secret. Come. You'll see." He gently pulled her hand again for another excursion. Right now, he was the one leading the way; Elsa followed whatever he planned, not doubting him for any second. _Oh, the irony it felt! _For a day, he was the one doing all the work and planning to woo her. She fell for everything nonetheless.

There were busybodies everywhere. As Elsa noticed, he was taking her to the outskirts of the town, were lesser people gathered. His pacing started to get a bit faster than usual. It was until she bumped to someone that made them stop for a moment.

"Oh, sorry." She was supposed to look mid-level, but the person was slightly taller so she had to look up. When he turned his face, she stared in awe. His face had seen so many battles that it left a lot of scars, most notably a scar that slid diagonally from his left eye to his right cheek. His hair was brown; it's length only reaching his neck. Though for a big person, his stature was also at a paralyzed state, 'till suddenly he lowered himself for proper courtesy.

"No, it was my fault entirely." He said with greatest of humility, like a paladin she hears in folktales from time to time. He left urgently, not saying a word anymore. Something… was different from him. Her brain snapped to consciousness as Erik's voice came calling out to her.

"Elsa, come. This way." He smiled as he held out his hand again.

"Sorry, I was just lost in thought." They were hiking along the road leading away from the town. "Your father will worry if we go further."

"We're almost close, besides there are guards positioned here since some people visit this area too." He replied.

"Why on Tamriel for?"

"That." He pointed towards the horizon. It was a towering mountain that she sees so very often. According to her maps, it was located almost at the center of Skyrim. Legends were told that the Dragonborn and Ulfric Stormcloak, the Traitor King, trained in the halls of High Hrothgar that was situated on top of that mountain. There were also stories pertaining to series of tests about faith and will that people undergo to climb that mountain. She found it somehow exciting and wondered if she could visit it someday. What really attracted her attention was the beam of light waving back and forth at the tip of the mountain. It was a majestic sight to behold. Even if the mountain was very far away, you can see the whole horizon almost colourful with lights and stars in the sky.

They managed to sit at an open spot were not many partners gathered. They soloed a small hilltop with a big tree that shaded them from the moonlight. Elsa's magelight (which was the only thing Jouane allowed her to cast during her healing treatment) made them see their surroundings a bit since it was far too dark to travel. Also, carrying torchlight will arouse suspicion from the townspeople so it was ill-advised to do so.

"How beautiful." Elsa said while gazing.

"Just like you are." He said. Elsa looked at Erik who was grinning at her.

"Stop joki-" She was about to smack his shoulder but his other hand managed to catch hers. He pulled her roughly and planted a kiss on her lips. Her eyes were wide open with shock but slowly closed it to feel the intimacy. His lips tasted sweet like Juniper Berries, the one that they ate before coming to the bonfire. Her body weakened as he caressed one of his hands on her cheek.

"My heart went mad when you denied me two times. I will not be denied the third."

Her face darkened. If anything but a surprise kiss, she would've been ready. She didn't know how to react and only just stared blanky. He brought her chin up.

"I just wanted you to know that I love you, and I will continue doing so." He said. "You don't have to say anything yet if it will lighten your mood."

Of course she loved him. With everything they did for the past couple of weeks, who in the right mind wouldn't? She wanted to say it too.

"I love you too."

He placed her head on his chest. She felt the throbbing heartbeat as she slowly closed her eyes for a doze. He smelled of newly harvested wheat, maybe that's how farmers smell all the time. She cuddled her arms together and she slept. It was a good half-hour until the magelight began to fade-out. Erik's arms were wrapped around Elsa.

"Hey, time to wake up." He patted her softly.

It was short nap, but a good one at that. She felt the warmth of his body emanating from him. It made her feel relaxed. On the actuality, she dozed off far faster than her usual sleeping routine.

"The townsfolk will begin to wonder about us." He continued.

"Okay. Let's go." She smiled.

She will never forget about this day.


	11. Of Scars In Battle

**A/N : to the two guests who commented on my work (not sure if you're one and the same), I'd like to say a big thank you! But i would really appreciate it if you have used an account to thank you personally (I prefer it that way). There are also lots of perks having an account in my opinion, so why not have one (assuming you guys don't) ? :D**

**okay for clarifications, it was hinted early in the chapters (Chapter 2 to be exact) that the Dragonborn haven't fought Alduin yet. It was rumored,yes, but to clear things up for good, I say : No. Alduin was not fought by the Dragonborn... yet. My plotline happens pre-Alduin to post-Alduin (I won't say anything beyond that ). Have I cleared things up for you, dear Anon? ;D**

**And for the chapter itself!**

* * *

A day had gone to pass since after the Festival of Hearts. Cleaning up the streets almost took all day yesterday. Rorik assigned cleaning designation for all the townspeople including settlers (evidently, Elsa got involved as well) and were divided into groups. Sadly, Elsa and Erik were on separate groups, so they seldom got the opportunity to be able to chat with each other. Some were assigned on moving the tables and cleaning the tankards, most notably this were Erik's group (their group consists of able-bodied men who can lift the heavyweights). Some were cleaning the stables for the traveller's horses. And some were cleaning all the trash from the outskirts of the town (this were Elsa's group consisting of women and children and the elderly. Sissel and Britte and Jouane Manette were also part of this group). It took them half of the morning and the rest of the afternoon to revert Rorikstead into it's original form.

Heavily tired, people enjoyed the evening with rounds of drinks and tale-telling. Mralki was ever so busy maintaining the inn. All the rooms of the inn were occupied since the Festival, even Elsa's room was taken away from her. She didn't mind though. She got her things to Jouane's house way before the festival started so she was sure her belongings were safe. She had a bed there too.

Ever since some travellers extended their vacation for a couple more days, Mralki hardly has time for himself. It even came to a point where he needed help from Erik to manage the inn. Though from time to time, he enjoyed some chats and stories adventurers never seem to stop telling.

The rest of the night went smoothly after. Mralki was cleaning the tables and almost all of the people have already gone to bed. He was chatting with a person who still hasn't slept yet. Erik and Elsa were happily walking on the path, chatting almost every random conversation that both came to their minds. Jouane already went to his home and locked all the doors except the back, so Elsa can enter after her stroll. The couple circled along Rorikstead until it was almost midnight. The guards who were patrolling suggested them to go to their respective homes and sleep already so that they won't be posed as a bandit or raider threat from the guards who weren't familiar with their faces. Elsa agreed to this. Erik didn't want to, he wanted to spend more time with her, but he had no choice.

"Not to worry, we can still meet tomorrow, you know."

Of course he'll wait. First thing in the morning, it will be him that she'll see first. And he promised. They parted ways when they finally reached to Jouane's house. He planted a kiss right before Elsa went inside the house. He went back to the inn shortly after.

His father was just outside, waiting for him to return.

* * *

_Middas, 18th day in Sun's Dawn, 4E 204_

Elsa woke up with an excitement of a new day. Already more than a week had passed since that eventful day, and it was high time that she was able to user some of her magic again. She rolled out of bed and decided to go for a regular tunic and trousers outfit. There was a knock on the door. His voice was slightly muffled but it was clear who he is.

"Someone's here to see you. I'll go make tea when you're ready." Jouane said.

She prepped herself up and soon she was ready to go. She opened the door to her room and saw Erik across the table, drinking a warm cup of tea. Yes, just like he promised. She always smiled seeing him like this: drinking from a mug or waiting practically the whole morning for her to wake up or even simply looking at her from a distance. She wanted this. She thought of a future with him and spending the rest of her days like this. What if he really is the one? He is one naïve and clueless person about anything related to the outside world, but she knows he can handle it. Their experiences with adventure were way apart, but their taste in it was almost all the same.

"Finally, I was beginning to wonder when you're going to wake up." Erik said.

"The morning dews have only formed, it's still way too early for you to come here anyways." She scrubbed her eyes.

True. Erik usually comes right after the morning harvest, which was some time before noon. To think that he went here right before would be slightly out of the ordinary.

"Sorry, I just wanted to tell you some exciting news!" He stood up from his chair and closed in at Elsa. He combed her hair neatly as their eyes gazed at each other.

"What is it?"

He held her hands tightly but carefully, not to ruin the delicateness of her hands. She felt his palms sweating. _Gods he felt so strong, he might even crush a giant's head like a walnut._ She thought.

"Come on I'd rather explain it to you along the way."

"Where are we going?"

"To the inn."

_Okay. _She nodded in response. They went out of Jouane's house, thanking him for making the tea for Erik. She actually had plans to have breakfast on Frostfruit Inn since she missed some of Mralki's delicacies. Sure, Jouane's was always great; some even better, but she needed a change of taste for a while. They had their usual strolls were Elsa was humming a tune and Erik quietly listens. It only takes a few steps 'till she asks a question of some sort.

"So what's the big surprise?" She finally asked.

"Well, you know how my father reacts when it comes to me. Last night was very different. He suddenly changed his mind…" They stopped. Erik placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Elsa, I can go adventuring now." His words put a shock on Elsa, she felt relieved that the long issue has been solved. His dreams were coming to fruition.

"Erik, that's great news!" She hugged him tightly. He replied back with an even tighter one. She felt his chest throbbing with excitement. His warmth enveloped against hers. It was a very nice feeling, she wished she did this to him more often.

"Yeah, there was this guy who came into town while you were bedridden. He then talked my father into thinking I could do it. He even willingly paid all of my expenses for the gear especially my armor. Talos be praised!" His faced glistened with excitement. "He's supposed to take me under his wing…" then he slightly paused as he exposed a worrying smile.

"I wanted to decline, because I wanted you to tag along. Wherever I'am, you've got to be there…" He cupped his hands on her cheeks. She slid her hand into his. She doesn't know what to say… She wanted him and everything about him also. Leaving her like that would crush heart.

"But then, I had an idea. If I could somehow persuade him to let you join us, then everything will be fine, right?"

She thought of something for a while. Her hands took Erik's and held it firmly.

"Okay, let's do it." She finally replied.

They walked closer and closer to the inn. Sadly, Elsa wasn't doing her usual humming. The air was too tense and she felt stressed to even be casual. As they finally approached the door, Erik placed a hand on her shoulder.

"By the way, I forgot to mention this," His voice sounded weirdly shaky.

"What?"

"He's the Dragonborn."

* * *

_Frostfruit Inn_

The main door of Frostfruit Inn was opened and two people came in. A man who was sipping his morning tea turned to see who they were. He was wearing a brown tunic and matching pants. He was in his casual clothing because he barely got the chance to do so. Almost all the time, he had to wear his armor for protection, but it always burdens him. He saw Erik, and a woman who was talking to him. Something felt odd about her; he couldn't put his finger on it. There was indistinct chatter amongst the two until they finally closed in on him.

"… Let's try this, at least." Erik faced the man. His face was spreading signals of nervousness. Heavy breathing, face abnormally sweating, he could see the signs.

"Ah, Erik. I was wondering where you'd gone." He faced the woman. "You…" His eyes widened big for enlightenment.

"You… You are the legendary Dragonborn!?" She covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh Divines, I never knew…"

She remembered him. And he remembered her. It was that night when he was lounging about his own business. He figured he could visit Mralki again and see what he's up to this time of night. He was about to head on to Frostfruit until he got bumped by a Nord woman. Her hood fell out and it revealed her moonlit yellow hair. They both stared in awe. It was a beauty he couldn't resist. And probably a beast she could.

_Was she looking at my scars? No, I already have too many… _He thought. He was proud of his own scars; it gives him an effect of intimidation towards his combatants. But it wouldn't attract many women. It would on some, but barely all of them. He wondered if it was the same on hers. _I think so_. It would be to think of a homely woman like her to ever marry an adventure-craving person like him. Well at least that's what he thought when he first met her.

As a common courtesy, he bent slightly and asked for an apology. He immediately rushed away to avoid any more pointlessness of this. But then, she was indeed someone to be remembered. He looked back but she already disappeared from the crowd.

_Sigh._ So much for that.

And now, he's looking at her again, staring in awe. _Again with this… Is this truly my fate?_

"If legends persist, then yes. Though I'm neither God nor hero to be accepted of any title."

She stared blankly. _There she goes again. I'm starting to worry. _He thought. He was waiting for a reply. No response. It was Erik that broke the still silence.

"Have you two met?" He wondered.

"…Yes, by face. Though not by name." She finally said.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce you. Elsa, Alvring. Alvring, Elsa." Erik explained.

"We met almost two days ago, that was during the celebration of the festival. We suddenly bumped in to each other. I never knew." Alvring said. _Elsa, it has a nice ring into it. _"All right, now at the matter at hand. What brings both of you here?"

"Well…" He scrubbed his crimson hair. "This maybe a unique request, but I was wondering if she could come along."

"What? She wanted to know the way of the blade too?" Alvring inquired.

"Well, no. Not actually." He faced Elsa who was really shy with words at the moment. He was wondering if he could bring the topic up to him. "She's… A mage."

"A mage, eh?" Alvring had his time dealing with all sorts of enchanters and invokers. In all honesty, he was having a hard time battling with them. Good thing he found a shield that wards off spells early in his journey. If he never would've found it, he'd probably be scorched meat with every fireball thrown at him. Now, he could experience a mage as an ally. _Oh, and all those cheating restoration spells they always do._ He happily thought.

At first he decided to appraise everything about her. He circled around her, curious of the form of her body. _Good form. Slender. She's an agile person, most probably smart too. The only problem is her skinny arms and legs. That can be arranged easily. _He felt convinced.

"I see no problem. I'm pretty sure you could carry your weight around?"

"Y-yes… Yes of course!" She stuttered at first, but then felt very persuading at the second.

"Very well then. She could come." He nodded.

They both looked at each other, finding something to say within the boundaries of understanding a simple _yes._

"R-really!?" Erik was the first to utter a word.

"Well, why not?" He replied.

"I thought, it might be a little bit crowded for you. We don't want to cause a huge burden in your endeavours…"

"So, should I not include her then?"

"No! No! Please… Of course I want her to join us. It's..Ah…" His words started to utter nonsense. Elsa then rubbed his back in an attempt to calm him down.

"So is she joining or not?" Of course the answer was very simple. Either a yes or a no would suffice. He only meant business in favour of a request from Erik. Still, he was still left speechless. _Poor naïve fellow. _It was until then that Elsa stepped up in front of him, gesturing a humble smile while looking at him.

"What Erik's about to say is: I'd be more than happy to join you."

_Wow, that took guts._ He thought. He did not bother to think of it anymore because it may actually hint her of his thoughts.

"Then it's settled. I expect we leave to get Erik's gear by morning."

He grabbed his food plate and headed towards his room. He turned back to see the look on their faces.

"You have the rest of the day to prepare. Go." He continued.

* * *

"Told you it would work." Elsa said, with a sly grin on her face.

"What? The innocent look? I think he got hooked because of the whole mage thing." Erik replied, crossing his arms as a sign of disbelief. He still looked a bit flustered after everything that had happened.

"Want to head outside for some fresh air? You look tense."

Erik nodded. They went outside the inn and were greeted by sunlight. Morning had already risen. Farmers have already begun tending the crops.

"Aren't you going to work?"

"My father gave me time to rest. After all, I'd probably never sleep again because I'm with the dragonborn." He let out a chuckle.

"Adventurers get lots of sleep."

"Not if you're dragonborn."

"Why not ask him if you're so sure about it?"

"I'm not sure if he's going answer a stupid question like that." He stopped and looked down, feeling contempt. "Did you take a good look at him? He's all covered with scars from battles from who knows what he's fighting. Probably dragons…" He rolled out a sleeve, revealing his flexed muscle and pointed at a scratch. "I only got this from a skeever bite… Isn't that too embarrassing for you?" He chuckled, bearing out a smile but the ambience emanating from him said otherwise.

"You still have that burn mark don't you? I'm pretty sure that looked intimidating also." She tried to be optimistic about it, but her heart ached to think about him getting another fatal wound. She wanted to protect him. Probably he wanted to protect her too. She covered up everything with a convincing smile.

"Compared to his? Not by a long shot." He frowned.

She wanted to say something. Something to lift his spirits up. He was concerned. Probably about the whole adventuring thing. Or maybe because he can't cope up with the demand of the dragonborn, possibly hers too.

"He let you join his company because he wanted to teach you to become strong like him. Don't you want that?" She smiled. This time there was pure truth and innocence on it. This made him smile too.

"Yeah. I'd like to think it that way instead." He looked behind him and checked at the people. "I've got see my father about this." He held her hand tightly. "I promise I'll come by the house after I'm done. Go get some rest." His face looked serious and at the same time fazed. She wanted to give him a hug, but the moment was all too tense for her to act. He headed out to go look for his father. She went home.

* * *

_A message from Elsa to Turranius of Winterhold_

_Written the same day, Middas, 18th day in Sun's Dawn, 4E 204._

_I'm not sure if you can receive this by the time I get back, but I assumed to write to you instead of Urag because of many reasons (I think you know what I mean). Nonetheless, I decided to write this to tell all of you that I'am well. A certain concern has gotten me to stay in Rorikstead. By the time you write one back, I may not be here anymore. Do not worry, I will still tell you about my condition at least once in a while. _

_The enchanted weapon was safely delivered to the client and there were no damages at all. With a few strings, I've managed to deal with the monetary problem without causing him to lose anything. Don't worry, everything is accounted for. I've already sent you the gold pieces in a caravan that I've sent no sooner than this letter. _

_I trust everything is fine in Winterhold? It's been weeks since I've last heard from all of you. It would lighten my heart if you tell me what Onmund and the others are up to these days. _

_[scribbles of ink and erasures. Unreadable. The only thing readable is the last line]_

_I'll keep this message short for now. I hope to hear from you soon._

_Elsa_

* * *

**A/N : Of course, what would Skyrim be without the Dragonborn?**

**Since all of the Main Characters are introduced in the storyline, the plot finally thickens and will now center around the three. ;)**


	12. Around the Campfire

"_It felt like ages coming here again."_

"_Yeah, welcome back." Mralki replied._

_He reached for the cupboards in the table and grabbed two tankards and a special mead primarily dedicated to the legendary-folklore-comes-true Nord sitting at a stool in front of him. He filled the cups and offered a toast. The cups collided with a 'clank'._

"_Dragon's Breath Mead, just the way you like it." Mralki said. Yes. Dragon's Breath Mead is one of the rarest alcohols to ever exist in Tamriel. They both drank it at the same time. Both felt a burning sensation on their throats. Well at least one of them had. The other may have felt this experience all the time. After all, he is the Dragonborn. He carried the power of Thu'um, or the Shout. He wondered if his throat felt sore after he tried to use it._

"_It's been what, almost a year since I last visited. I haven't tasted this thing ever since."He gulped it down nonchalantly.__ Drinking the whole mead will leave one's throat to burn with sensation within seconds. But he just gulped it down like some ordinary drink. To make matters worse, his cup is still quarter full._

"_So, tell me. Why do you still hide your son from me?" He finally got into the topic._

_He let out a sigh. "I still don't want him going off in a place to who-knows-where." He glared at his cup. He went to sip a bit. Even though it was only a few pints, his throat still tickled with that burning sensation. He let out an 'AHH' after drinking. "It's what in his mind all the time. I can see it. From his eyes." He said after a pause._

"_You know you're going to let go of him one day. It'll completely torment him until you give him the chance."His face didn't deteriorate. His words were pure and with dedication. He knows he can teach him everything he knows about adventuring. Mralki felt convinced. His charisma was unfaulty. _

_I feel bad about this… He thought._

"_Even if I would agree on that wholeheartedly, I just can't send him off penniless and armorless. The inn is barely holding up with its savings. Then with all my reckless thinking into enchanting that weapon…"_

"_How about If I would pay for it?"He replied. This caused Mralki's shock._

"_Oh Gods No! If it weren't for Els-" He paused. "I don't want to think that I'm a person who eagerly accepts donations from every people I encounter…"_

"_Then don't think that this is for you. Honestly speaking, this is for your son anyways."_

"_I…I…couldn't thank you enough…" He felt very guilty about this. But he had no choice. It's been bearing him for a while now. The first time his son disappeared off in the wilderness without saying a word had him worried. Then reappearing again almost looking half-dead… He knows he can take it. Take it all and survive in the end. He had the courage and determination lighting up in his eyes and of course, that satisfaction of his craving. But he couldn't say that, and he didn't do it. He was a father first and foremost and he will do anything to protect the last precious thing he has from harm. He scolded him, telling him that his life hanged in the balance. He argued back, telling him of the stale life he had. In that moment, he felt that he actually needed to let go. It was about time anyways. He was growing old, almost reaching his prime. By the time he let him go without the persuasion of the Dragonborn, he would be far too old, and would've lost his golden years very early. He didn't want that. He wanted him to be happy. He was far too dense to have realized it until now. His mind clouded his judgment, poisoning him to understand his small favor that meant the whole world for his son._

"_Give yourself time to think."_

"_Thank you so much Drago- … Alvring."_

_He chuckled. "At the very least, you called me by name. And I appreciate it, for once."_

_Mralki waited, waited for his son to come home. It was already past midnight and he was about to blow out the last candle shining in the room. He went outside. He squinted to see a shadow approaching from a distance. It was his son…_

* * *

"…Alvring?" A familiar voice called. It was somehow hazy but the voice repeated again. "Alvring?" She snapped her fingers right in front of his face.

He was brought back to reality.

He blinked a couple of times to regain his awareness. He was in the campsite with bedrolls neatly fixed and laid in the ground. They were all out in the open: no forests, or mountains to block their unobstructed view over the horizon. The campfire smoked so high that it might attract everyone who might caught a glimpse of it.

It was pretty sure nothing that he can't handle.

"Just collecting my thoughts…" He finally said.

There was a period of silence in the air as Elsa prepared to light the wood on fire.

"You know, we haven't been fully acquainted." She didn't look at him, but she was smiling. "It's always been between you and him, then me and him. But there isn't really anything about _us._" She had to mention this. During their short travel, They barely talked to each other. Only if it's important that they converse. But normally, they've been hooking Erik each time they had the chance.

"Heh. Well I just thought that a young lass you aren't really adventurer material. So I honestly don't know how to deal with that." He snickered.

"Yeah, I got that a lot. But I'm used to it. I always want to prove people wrong anyways." She snickered back, now looking at him.

"Maybe someday lass, maybe someday."

"Ah. Well, Erik is gathering herbs for me to cook with the meal." She was referring to the fresh deer meat they managed to grab before they went unpacking. "It's getting a bit late. I better go check on him."

Alvring simply nodded.

"Be careful out there."

"Will do." She smiled.

After a few moments of searching around the plains (It didn't take too long), she spotted him lying on the meadow of red mountain flowers blooming in the middle of winter season. His red hair almost camouflaged with the mountain flowers and the dark-red horizon. She stepped in closer. Grass were softly trampled and made noise, which caught the attention of Erik. He took sight of her and started to stand up.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to – " He stopped when Elsa sat down, hands pushed deeply into the soil. Winds passed by and blew off her hood, revealing her long flowy hair in the process. She didn't mind it at all though.

"I'm sorry. I thought I'm already late…" He looked down.

"You are. But I'm not going to scold you. Alvring will do that."

Erik suddenly flushed and stared Elsa with a wide eye. Elsa saw it and chuckled a bit.

"I'm kidding." She laughed.

Her joke made Erik's face all red with embarrassment.

"Well, kidding aside, I have your ingredients right here." He put out his own variation of the satchel and brought out some whitecaps and herbs. She took it off his hands. She was about to pick the last one but he snagged her hands into a trap. He held firm and smiled, it's as if he's begging for her to stay a little while more before heading out to the campsite. She tried to cut loose but it won't budge at all. She suddenly gave up with a sigh.

"Alright fine, I give up. Now scooch over."

He moved just a few inches, giving her space to lie down on his lap. He brushed her hair back and forth as he tried to fix her silky yellow hair in his lap. He picked out a handful of flowering buds and sprinkled on her hair, gaining a few laughs and jokes here and there.

"I was wondering," he contemplated. "I want to have a title, something that goes along with my name. I don't know…" He picked out some of the buds and tossed it in the air.

"A title?" She giggled, thinking it kind of pointless having titles. She'd heard of lots of titles but none of them proved any worth, except maybe the legendary title of the Dragonborn. But who knows? Maybe she is wrong.

"Yeah, like Erik the Warrior or Erik the Archer."

"How about Erik green-thumb?" She giggled again, almost to the point of laughing. Erik made the same gesture but he was taking everything seriously.

"C'mon, this is serious Elsa."

"Or better yet, Erik the hoe-pusher!" She burst out laughing. She tumbled into the dirt, rolling. He rough-housed her a bit, tickling her until tears trickled from her eyes. They both had each other laughing up to the point of their stomachs bursting. Their laughter soon faded out. They lied to the ground, staring at that sky. Dusk have almost set to them.

"My father said that I should have a name that is more true to me, something that will stick out the rest of my life as an adventurer. Or probably until I retire somewhere around the world. Hammerfell's my best bet." He held out her hand, gesturing something like: _of course, you can come too._ He faced her as she faced him, smiling. Glad. About everything.

"Ok how about this…" She giggled a bit, which was met by an icy stare by Erik. "no, this time it's not a joke." She smiled as she was about to explain.

"Fine, fire away." He grumbled.

"Erik the Slayer."

* * *

The fire crackled and spitted as they tried to make themselves warm on a very cold night. The bedrolls are already set and the firewood could already last the entire night. Their belly already full with the exquisite taste the flavour brought in by the grounded spices that Elsa made.

"You'll make a fine wife someday." Alvring commented on her cooking. The men laughed and Elsa blushed. Laughter filled the air for a couple of seconds. By now, bandits could've attacked and plundered them for all their worth, but then, there's Alvring the Dragonborn, Elsa the Mage, And Erik the Slayer whom they will face. And the probability of them losing is almost of slim chance. In all aspects, they are a well-sturdy team. The pillars that support them couldn't easily crumble.

No sooner than later they exchanged stories and moments in their life that are worth telling about. Well, at least for Alvring and Elsa. Erik was only there, marvelling in awe in all the adventures they did in the past. And with him starting now, he is very excited what he could tell to fellow adventurers soon.

"There's this one time, I woke up, bounded and sent to the headsman for '_illegally crossing Skyrim's borders'_…" Alvring was about to continue his story but Elsa interrupted.

"_YOU _crossed the border too!?" Elsa laughed, soon to be followed by Erik, who was slowly catching up with the story. "I travelled by boat!" She continued laughing. "I never knew the punishment would be death. Why is every punishment in this country always involves cutting off one's head?" She thought for a moment, realizing the stream is already going towards that time when… No. She didn't want to think about that.

Alvring and Erik only shrugged.

"I don't know why, but I guess it _is_ gruesome." Erik contemplated. For a Skyrim-born, he too doesn't know much of the rules of the country. He was living a simple and quaint life, that's for sure.

"Well back to the story. Where was I again? Oh, the carriage. So there was I in the carriage sitting in right in front of a Stormcloak, a horse thief, and wouldn't you know it? I was sitting right next to Ulfric Stormcloak himself!"

"Wow…" Erik stared in awe.

"Really? I've heard so much about him." Elsa said.

"So, how did you escape?" Erik questioned.

"Well, to cut the story short. I was next in line. I knelt down and the headsman raised his axe high until a dragon swooped down and desecrated the whole village! I ran for my life and escaped with a rebel." He took a sip on his mug.

"So you survived the attack on Helgen?" Erik questioned him again.

"Yes. And by the time news spread about a dragon attack, I was already heading to Whiterun to tell the Jarl what had happened. Soon after that I was already fending off a dragon itself!" He sipped on his mug again, took a deep breath and continued the story "Little did I know that I was already absorbing its essence and being told that I was Dragonborn."

"That's amazing." Elsa grinned. _To gain the essence of a Dragon's Soul. It must be breathtaking._

Erik was flushed out of words with amazement as well.

"What about you, Elsa? Any more worth mentioning?"

"_Hmmm."_ She went to process her mind, then thought of an idea.

"I'm not sure if I got any more. But there _is _this one time that a certain striking hero saved my life." She grinned as she faced Erik, who was wondering what she's up to. "C'mon Erik, tell us what happened in Sojund's after I got beat-up." She was undermining herself to gain favor for Erik.

"I ah- Well…" He was loss for words. This was his first time (of many things trivial to adventuring) telling an actual adventure he had. Something that was actually worth telling to.

"I guess it goes like this…" He explained everything with detail. He first mentioned how they got there in the first place, then how they battled out much of the draugrs, how he killed his first draugr leader with shots of arrows, the way he carried unconscious Elsa on his back, and how lucky he was when he found an exit by then end of the cave.

"…That's at least how my first adventuring went."

"Chivalrous, and something worth to tell. But I expect better stories the next time we lay in the campfire." Alvring insinuated. Of course his stories were far grander than Erik would ever have combined. Probably not even enough to satisfy half of what Alvring's got. He is after all. The. One. And. Only. Dragonborn. Of. Legends.

Elsa didn't bother the thought though. He wanted Erik to learn so much about what life has to offer for them. With this, he can become completely fulfilled of his dreams he had long been craving for.

"Welp, time for bed." Elsa smiled at both of them. She focused her hands into creating a pulsing red light. She closed her eyes into meditation. After a brief moment she loosened herself and breathed heavily. "There's not a group of anyone at all within certain distances of this region. We can all catch some rest and no one has to take turns taking guard." She actually channelled both _Detect Life _and _Detect Undead _spells, which oversees any form of being within a certain radius of their campsite. Fortunately, as she scanned through the area, there were nothing more threatening than foxes and rabbits.

They both nodded in contentment. All of them were tired anyways, standing guard and taking turns would really deprive them of the proper sleep they need to journey at least half a day for Whiterun.

They snuggled on their bedrolls, almost subsequently moved very close to each other so they could be a lot warmer just in case the fire went out sooner than expected. Slowly, both the men drifted off to sleep. Elsa was sleeping in the middle of them. One side was rock hard and wouldn't even budge if she tried to push it away from her. She just prayed that Alvring wouldn't crush her by tomorrow morning. The other only slightly softer, but it still wouldn't move. She snuggled closer to Erik, feeling the slow, cycling breaths he made. It was warm, and she enjoyed it. She moved to a point where her head is directly below his chin. She felt happy and it was nice… Until a few moments after, Erik tried to bear-hug her out of sleep. She was finding a way to squeeze out, but there was nothing she could do. Of course, she couldn't move the behemoth at all. She was almost close to being strangled. No sooner than later, Alvring closed-in on them and started to grab Elsa's arm as a pillow. She tried to recover her own arm but it was also no use. Her arm became numb; she tried twisting and turning it 'till there was proper blood flow again into the system.

_Ack. _She made a small crack on her voice. Alvring scoffed while sleeping and Erik simply nuzzled his nose.

Even though she had the most uncomfortable sleeping position in all of Tamriel, she felt all the warmness of the world with both of them. She felt safe. And knowing that now, she knew she could have dreams in the dead of night and wake up feeling refreshed.

Her body fully contorted, she happily drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Alvring opened his eyes.

_I thought I heard something._

It was already morning. The dews were already forming, which means they still have plenty of time to unpack their belongings. The fire was already burned out. He looked at the two and they were still sleeping.

_I guess I'm first._ He unrolled his bedroll and stretched out his systems. He felt a slight ache on his arms. There were small semblances of hand marks imprinted on his skin.

_What is that woman doing on her sleep?_

He rubbed his cheek and slapped it lightly to get him fully awake. He grabbed his gear that cracked light noise. This made Erik and Elsa move a little bit.

He wore first his heavy ebony armor that he hid after he took them off behind the formation of rocks close by. Then he cuffed his greaves and next were the bracers, all in the matching outfit (of ebony). Now he looked more a warrior.

_What is that ringing sensation?_

It was only after a few moments that he suddenly realized what was really going on.

He knew this. That's why he involuntarily wore his gear into battle mode. He never had an encounter with one for weeks now.

_Maybe they're already afraid of me and started to die down._ He thought.

He was still calm, not even trying to wake them up. His breaths were constant, normal. Almost too normal. He tighted the grip on his bracers and tested it if his fingers could move around. He then gripped the longsword strapped behind his back.

_Shiiinngg_

Elsa woke up, thinking of a reckless bandit who unsheated his sword very noisily and will soon be burned to a crisp by her flames. But then she saw Alvring, in a stance, battle-ready.

"Alvring? What's wrong?" She rubbed her eyes to see if she was really hallucinating or if it was really real.

"It's coming."

Elsa pondered for a moment.

"What's coming?" She inquired.

Erik also began waking up with all the commotion as he yawned and stretched ever so casually. He too saw Alvring in a suit of ebony. He couldn't believe it at first. He tried to rub his eyes too but everything was true.

"What's going on?"

Alvring was there, silent. It's as if one touch to him could lead him to hack and slash you to death. He was much focused, not wanting to spend every second useless to his fellow comrades. His palms were sweaty but his grip with the longsword never faltered.

A faint roar appeared from out of nowhere…

His blood was curdling…

"What was that?" Erik asked.

"I don't know." Elsa said.

They stood up now alert. Erik grabbed his set of arrows and his trusty bow.

The roar grew louder. It came from the skies.

_Uh-oh. _Elsa thought.

"What a nice wake-up call." Alvring joked. He steadied his grip, bent two knees apart.

There were faint beating of wings by a giant creature circling around them.

"Is that…" Erik watched in utter horror.

"Aye, a dragon."


	13. What Beats in the Breeze

**A/N : Hi Guys ! I'm baacccckkkk ! I really missed this fanfic, and as soon as I was free as a bird, I immediately squeezed alot of time here (but my schedule is still busy as ever). Woot I can't wait for the story to progress! x3**

**First off, I would like to deeply apologize for the hiatus I did. The reason behind that is because of our very tedious finals, and I promised myself that I would prioritize my studies, leaving behind all my precious hobbies, including writing fanfics :'( . I still have a last thing to do this week's Friday so after that, it's our lovingly awaited term break. :'D**

**Second : I would again, apologize for the mediocre substance/quality (if you feel it lacked one) during the fighting scene. I'm not much into descriptive fighting, but I make it up for the plotline and conversations. So please be patient.**

**Last: Thank you for reading this awesome story! It's still on-going but I really love your patience and understanding! Also, I would love to receive those messages and reviews again, I've totally missed them :'( .**

**Welp, I better get on with the story before I say unrelated stuff again. See you at the bottom!**

* * *

"Brace yourselves!"

The dragon circled around them, stalking like a predator on its prey. Its bronze scale and copper wings shimmered in the sky as it flapped, waiting for the perfect moment. Its tail was pointed almost like a tip of a spear. The roars were so loud it scared all the wildlife away. To Erik and Elsa, this was horrifyingly their first encounter on a powerful creature such as this. They were taken back of course, marvelling at a sight of such a majestic creature. If only its goal weren't to cause destruction, then it would really be a sight to behold.

This thought was only bliss. Instead, Alvring steadied his grip on the ebony-smelted greatsword, Erik took an arrow out of its quiver, and Elsa prepared her next set of spells.

The wind beat as the dragon flapped his wings, preparing for a landing. The trees and grasses swayed ferociously as the dragon flew closer and closer to the ground. With perfect timing, the dragon landed and shook the ground that made Erik tumble to the ground. The dragon roared fiercely that it snapped weak branches and blew off the leaves in the process.

And now the real battle begins.

Alvring let out a battle howl as he charged the mighty beast straight through. He successfully drew first blood as he swung his blade and grazed the creature on the head. With the dragon provoked, it was his cue to drop the greatsword and to pull out another enchanted blade, sheathed from his belt, and the Daedric shield that saved him many times.

_Yol…_

The dragon spoke in ancient tongue but as soon as it spoke, it let out a fiery vortex that engulfed Alvring.

"Alvring!" Elsa cried out from a distance. Her expression was at a loss. She rushed towards the dragon, but something gripped her shoulder from behind.

"Elsa! Stay back!" Erik pulled her away, the flames were far too intense for anyone to withstand it. She grunted and growled as she tried to wiggle her way out of Erik's grip. Her eyes were almost tearing up with sadness. But it was too late.

_No, not this again…_

The dragon closed its mouth. The fire cleared. The smoke cleared as well. But there he was, appearing as if none of the dragon's flames ever touched him. His shield was raised up and again, protected him from danger. He then raged on and struck the beast with its sword.

Elsa was shocked, so was Erik, when they saw Alvring well and as if nothing happened. They looked at each other, and then nodded at the same time. Alvring, as strong and as fabled as he is, still needs their aid. Even if may have fought them a dozen times, the chances of risks are still accounted for.

Erik readied his bow and tried to aim at the dragon's eyes. But it was too squirmy as it tried crush the dragonborn with its bared fangs, barely avoiding it. He took aim, and shot.

The arrow struck its neck, but obviously it was only like a mere bite of an ant, the dragon didn't notice it at all. He tried shooting again, but it was to no avail. The dragon was still busy with its foe.

"My arrows aren't working…" he mumbled.

"Of course! That _thing _is a dragon!" Elsa heard his low voice and replied in an obvious fashion. She was channelling two spells in one form. Gleaming with electricity, she shot out a furious thunderbolt and it staggered the powerful dragon. Provoked, it faced Elsa head on. It marched forward, shaking the ground as it crawled towards her. It inhaled deeply.

Her legs numbed as fear struck her mind. But she immediately snapped out of her daze when she heard her name called by an approaching figure. She quickly changed her set of spells to create a ward to block the dragon's next move.

_Yol!_

Just as the first one, the dragon hurled another fury of flames that blanketed the land where Elsa stood aflame. Her ward spell did the trick. In a wild guess, she figured that the shield Alvring wore has some sort of Ward enchantment on it. Typically, normal equipment cannot withstand a force of flame that long, even if it is enchanted with fire properties. With that, her conclusion should be along the lines of Warding spells. And it was correct. The only problem is, she can't hold it much longer. A Ward can successfully shield you from the dragon's flames, but too much force will break the spellshield. Her hands were slowly shaking with effort.

Alvring's armor clanked and jingled as he rushed towards Elsa and the dragon. Just as Elsa was about to kneel down in defeat, he struck his sword unto the dragon's neck, staggering it and cancelled its fiery rage. The dragon growled heavily and pivoted its head towards the dragonborn.

Impeccable timing, the Ward spell had exhausted, she ran back towards Erik (which was still attempting to hit the eye of the beast). She ran behind the tall rocks to recuperate, leaving Alvring to best the dragon with little help.

"By the Nine! Are you hurt?" Erik was worried. He noticed some of her sheets were burnt off, but her skin was still perfection.

_Ugh, no time for that!_ He thought.

"No, I'm fine! Just give me time to recover..." She sat down, peeking just above the stones and saw Alvring battling out the dragon by himself. "We've got to help…" she insisted.

He was good. Better actually. No, he was the best and everyone knows he's the only hope of ridding the world of those destructive beasts and send them deep within Oblivion. But he was only human. He was staggering. From her very eyes, she could see tiredness and perseverance struggling and both are waiting for the other's breaking point. He hacked and slashed and ducked every time he got the opportunity, but his tactics were wavering.

He slashed head-on, unafraid of the devil beast. Enraged, the dragon retaliated with an attempt to grab him by the mouth. He immediately used his shield to block his mouth from eating him whole. But the dragon raised his claw, and it will aim on his opening. Being distracted, Alvring did not see the dragon's claw. He backed again and fumbled into the ground. He was grazed, his chest piece revealed a big scratch. Blood slowly trickled, it wasn't that serious of an injury, but it made him falter.

"Alvring!" She got out of her cover and hurled a barrage of ice spears to the dragon. Again, the dragon staggered and stopped.

It flapped its wings in an attempt to fly again. The dragon now received a lot of wounds.

"You're not going away!"

The dragon was already in mid-air. Alvring inhaled, not minding the terrible consequences of the pain he will receive.

_Joor Zah Frul!_

The voiced lashed out a force, crumbling the dragon. In fear, it attempted to flap away again, but instead, it tumbled straight into the ground. The landing shook the earth again. Birds scattered away from the trees. The impact severely disoriented the dragon.

He ran again with a warcry. He struck his sword in the middle of the dragon's eyes. The dragon wobbled its neck in pain. As it fell to the ground, it was finally dead.

* * *

He panted, looking at the dead dragon straight. He pointed his bloodied sword, feeling it my sprung to life. Oh, he was very tired. But then suddenly, scales and skin of the dragon started to burn like parchment. Without a moment, wind flowed through him and it seemed like all the energy of the dragon beckoned into him. He inhaled deeply as the wind flowed hard. The dragon was now all bones. He wasn't feeling so tired anymore. The two observers stared in awe and in amazement to see everything that have happened.

At last, they all have defeated the dragon. They sure went through a lot when they've fought it, barely escaping death. It was Erik and Elsa's first encounter with one and luckily, they've managed to survive. It signified a lot of potential for him to actually enforce this party of three.

_Call it an initiation to the companionship of the Dragonborn._ Alvring thought.

He winced in pain, he grabbed his chest to cover out the blood that was flowing out of it. He totally forgot about his wounds that scarred him during the fight.

"Alvring!" Elsa cried out. She ran towards him, Erik just right behind her. She was about to give him a hug, but when he faced her, it revealed a wound that ran diagonally from his chest to his torso. "Oh Gods…"

He hissed. He needs to be healed right away.

She gently placed her hand into the wound. She closed her eyes and focused whatever energy left she had in her. Light streaked into her hands. It flowed and surrounded Alvring with a pleasing aura. Blood started to fade and the wound slowly closed.

Erik felt all the awkwardness.

_Does she do this to every man he meets?_ He contemplated. He remembered how he too, got injured and was healed in just a wave of her fingers. He even carried her all night along in his back because—

His contemplation reminded him of something, and it might happen again the second time. Her hands started to falter, but it continued to flow soothing light that surrounded him and his wounds.

"Elsa!" He shook her shoulder. She immediately broke out of trance. Her eyes wide open, she felt a slight migraine and fell on her knees. The light that surrounded Alvring (who was in awe the whole time) faded. He lent out a hand to her.

"Elsa… You don't have to overexert yourself like this…" Erik felt worried.

"No, I'm fine… But thanks. My worries got the better of me again …" She held his hand and raised her up. She wiped (of what's remaining) her robes to clean off the dirt and burnt rubble. "I'm sorry. My magic slipped away from me again." She observed the result of her work. The chest wound was perfectly stable. "I didn't manage to heal all your cuts and burns, but at least you're okay now." She referred to Alvring's condition.

"But what about you? For a moment, I thought you would collapse from exhaustion." Alvring placed a worried look on her too.

"I'm fine, though I should say the same thing for you too." She snickered. The three of them broke out of laughter a few seconds which broke the negative tension between all of them. After a few moments, silence filled the air.

"Well, we better push on. I don't want to fight a second dragon today." Alvring joked.

They all looked at the campsite, it was now a complete mess. Their bedrolls are all burned, some other important things have also either been burned or crushed. They stared into each other again and started laughing again.

"Well, what I can see from our tracks, we're almost close to Whiterun anyways. We can restock our supplies from there. Luckily, it won't take us by nightfall to get there." Erik inquired.

"Good intuition. Let's follow your plan." Elsa agreed, which followed by a bop on his shoulder.

They all got what's left of their campsite and head on to the trail leading to Whiterun. Elsa then realized she was a lucky person. From all her journeys, she never had met a dragon. She would be burned crisp if she was alone right now. She even thought maybe the only reason she'd met one was because Alvring attracted it to her. Of course, if you're a dragonborn, you are bound to meet many of them along the journey. And she, well she didn't have that famous title.

But being a person who meets a lot of dragons in their journey, the thought of it made her chuckle. It could be a very interesting life.

"What is it?" Alvring thought, as he noticed she was chuckling again.

"Just thinking about how maddening and insane being the dragonborn is." She replied.

He laughed. "How so?"

"Well, you get to fight dragon after dragon. Barely escaping death…" She spoke nonchalantly.

"Well I guess it is pretty maddening." He snickered.

"By the way, what happened to the dragon?"

He looked at the remains of the dragon. He walked towards it and was reminded of something that he forgot. He started plucking some of the bones and scales that didn't disintegrate.

"Oh. Simply put, I absorbed its soul." He spoke nonchalantly as well as she did before.

She was shocked, a big 'o' formed her mouth. "What?"

"I can't explain it. Even the Greybeards explanation was a bit confusing. But with this, I can learn the dragon's life: its past, memories, even it can let me use some of their ancient tongues."

"Oh… I see…" Her demeanour looked very confused. Her confused looked stayed as she picked up her belongings. Even after she was finished, she didn't know what to say.

"Are we all set?" Erik called from behind. His satchel was already packed and prepared to go.

Alvring was still busy picking out a few more of those bones and scales. But as soon as he placed it on his travelling sack, he was all set as well.

"Then let's go then." Erik said. He lead the way to follow the trail.

* * *

Whiterun was already at the distance. The stronghold was already seen from their eyes.

They did not take a break, or stopped by at any place in any reason. They all wanted to reach Whiterun soon. And with that goal in their minds, they reached Whiterun just an hour after noon. Their face was all gritty and their equipment still reeked of dragon's blood or burn. Alvring still wore his platings and didn't even bother to remove it after the struggle. Elsa's one and only robe on their trip has its lower sheets burned (she thought the trip would take only a day or two, so didn't pack too much belongings. She thought she could purchase some robes when they reach Whiterun.). Erik's already ran out of arrows, even the ebony ones Alvring gave him if in case a dangerous foe happens to pass by.

They all shared a sigh of relief.

All this trouble only to buy some equipment that Erik needs. And it wasn't even the good ones. No matter, they were there and they reached it in one piece.

"Thank the Divines we're already here." Erik prayed.

"What? You're already beat? C'mon, an adventurer needs no sleep!" Elsa joked. But of course she too was feeling fatigued already.

"Now, now. You two attend to Breezehome. Someone will tend to you there. Also, tell the housecarl I have returned, and you two are my new companions." He put down his sack and pulled out some parchments and his coin purse. "I have some business with the Jarl. We can meet back at The Bannered Mare for some drinks at nightfall. Go and explore the town for a bit if you feel like it." Alvring ended his speech. They both nodded.

"Take this." Alvring handed the sack to Erik.

"Oomf!" when Alvring's grip loosened, Erik fell down with the bag. Elsa laughed.

"Hey! Careful!" Alvring straigtened him up.

"This… is… Heavy…" He staggered.

"Not so farmer material now are we, Erik?" Elsa snickered.

"Shush Elsa."

* * *

_Breezehome_

The female housecarl was sipping Jazbay tea when he heard footsteps right out the house. She turned and heard a knock on the door. Regularly, Her Thane would just open the door and toss out a sack in the front porch and head upstairs to sleep. Obviously this was not her Thane. She gripped the hilt of her sword and headed towards the door.

Unknowingly, the door slightly creaked open. She released her sword and prepared herself.

A head popped out of the door. A Nord with blonde hair and pale skin (which someone she almost failed to perceive because her face was covered in soot) entered followed by another Nord with crimson hair and somehow fair build (she didn't thought for a second that he was the dragonborn). Both of them were surprised that she had her weapon drawn in front of them. The intruder woman tried to calm her down but it was to no avail.

"You're not supposed to be here. Get out, or I'll call the guards!" Of course, she obviously knew she could handle them herself, but something about them made her felt concerned. They look powerful. Her grip steadied but her palms were sweating, showing signs of tension.

"No, no. We are the new companions of the Dragonborn." The woman explained.

"Oh, so he has returned then?" Without hesitation, the housecarl sheated her sword.

_No wonder they were covered in grime. _She held her chuckle, not wanting to disturb the Thane's esteemed guests.

The woman nodded in reply. Finally, she started to introduce themselves.

"My name is Elsa. This here is Erik."

"Lydia, sworn housecarl and protector of the Dragonborn."

* * *

**A/N : I had to cut the story short because it will progress to the plotline that needs to be in the next chapter. If I continue this now, It would take longer and I don't want you guys to keep waiting.**

**Next chapter will arrive within next week.**

**Feel free to comment/review/message me so I can re-evaluate myself if I totally lost my writing skills or what not :D**


	14. Secrets: Part 1

**A/N: Another Long one. Enjoy!**

**Also, this is a 2-part storyline. Expect the next one written in a few days. ;)**

* * *

Erik was very impressed. It was so rare to meet fair maidens that would suit adventuring. Now, two of them were right in front of his eyes. Very beautiful ones at that.

Lydia was a Nord, much like him. She was wearing a steel set of armor (the one without the pauldrons) and it matched her curves very nicely. A brunette, a part of her hair was braided that dangled right before her eyes. Her skin was glossy brown. But her beauty never matched Elsa's.

"Let's get you two cleaned up." She patted him on the shoulders firmly, making him slightly bend forward with the force. "Both of you can use the special bath house my Thane has currently installed. It's behind the house."

Elsa flushed a stare; red pulsating on her cheeks. Lydia caught the signal.

"Don't worry, the baths for men and women are separated. Go see it for yourselves." She continued.

From a very intimidating person to an accommodating one, Erik saw Lydia's worst and best side at just one instance. He felt very relieved that they might get into trouble with her. Of course he thought: As housecarl, one should never question the Thane's decisions, even if the result will befell her death.

"I'll guide Lady Elsa to her bath. Yours is on the other side of those doors."

Behind the house were two doors, where both of them entered. Obviously, the other is his. Towels were already laid before the entrance. He snatched one, and proceeded to remove the heavy weapons that were encumbering his body. As he entered the bath, he was greeted by the warm steam that was coming out of the pool. As he looked to his left, the entirety of the garden is divided by a wall.

_Elsa certainly is on the other side._

He stretched out his systems, ready to plunge in for the water. He removed his clothes, revealing every piece of muscle he had on his body.

_God I'm so tired._ And the bath was just the amount of stress relief he needed to satisfy. He carefully placed his toe into the water, trying to merge his body heat into the steam bath. He slowly dipped in, inch by inch, until everything above his neck was the only thing visible from his nakedness. He splashed water around his body, some on his face, arms, and his crimson red hair. After that, he smudged every soot and dirt from his body.

He straddled, relaxed. He really felt dreary, and the warmth of the bath was very inviting. His eyes were slowly closing, to doze off to a little nap.

* * *

_Maybe a little sleep won't do you harm…_

_He remembered. _

_He shadowed his eyes from the sunlight. The sky was very blue today._

_From what he heard, a waning voice called out to him. Still, he dozed off again, not minding everything around him. A flock of birds fluttered across his vision. Free as they are, they flapped their wings mighty high in the sky. He wished freedom like so._

"_Erik." The waning voice was clear now. It sounded very familiar. Something… He knew._

_Broken from his trance, he stared eye-level. Alvring was right in front of him. He sported a simple brown tunic. He had little scars that time— Time… _

"_Erik, get yourself together." He positioned himself, readying a fighting stance. _

_Erik struck a fighting pose as well, Suddenly his arms wielded a sword and shield, made of simple steel. _

_Alvring charged at him with a mighty howl. _

_Sparring. A practice session. I remembered this. We were sparring… Yes…_

_Erik successfully blocked a powerful blow, but he staggered as he tried to recover. This was an opportune time to strike back, which he did. His sword flung and swished, but all attacks were only parried. Erik was already panting and sweating, while Alvring wasn't even breaking one. He tried fighting again, but Alvring was just too experienced for him to be battling. No matter, this was only pr—_

"_Very interesting swordsmanship, but you have miles to go my friend." He struck a stance. "Unfortunately this has to end." He inhaled deep breaths._

"_Wuld…"_

_He initiated himself again, this time not running wildly like a berserker. He ran with immense speed. His sword flickered in Erik's gaze as it flashed very fast in his eyesight, only by mere milliseconds did he found out that the tip of his sword was right in front of Erik's face._

"_I concede." Erik finally spoke. _

_Alvring sheated his sword, feeling slightly disappointed._

"_Outside this place you live in, everyone will do anything what it takes to survive. People will use every clever trick imaginable in order to achieve victory over his foe." He patted Erik's shoulder. "Be more clever than them Erik, and you'll do just fine." _

_Alvring continued on with his observations about the practice. He noticed that Erik was good, but he lacked stamina to continue fighting at very long periods. But not everything he said was about weakness, he pointed out strengths too. He had strong arms, which he honestly said that within a couple of years, he might overcome him._

_And that was that. The sparring was over._

_They took a seat on a bench near them and wiping off some of the sweat they gained during the match (Alvring barely had any)._

"_You know…" Alvring inquired. "I admit, I'm barely a stranger to you, and you're willing to try everything I tell you to." He snickered._

"_I trust you." He never knew why he said that. But it was the only light-hearted feeling he could say to his superior._

"_No, don't trust me that much, kid. There might come a time that I will take away something you want. Right Erik?" He questioned, but the voice sounded blurry. His eyes were getting a bit hazy._

"_Erik?" Alvring faced him, but his face started to distort around him. Steams of sweat started to pour out of his skin._

"_E…rr…iii…kk." The voice sounded slow, but resonating._

* * *

He opened his eyes.

"Erik?" A voice called out to him.

He looked around to see where it was coming from, but only to find out that it was coming behind the walls. He remembered he took a nap, and now, he had woken up with the sound of Elsa's voice calling out his name. He remembered.

"I'm here." He replied.

The wooden walls were thin, but it obstructed vision, so no one can even try to sneak a peek. The steamy water made a humid tension between them. Divines would only interfere if Erik would've torn through that wall to see Elsa right now. But it wasn't the time for that. After everything… He thought it may not be the best time for such an act to follow.

"How're you feeling?" She started off the conversation.

"Fine." He cupped hot water and poured it into his back.

"Really? You felt troubled all day long. Don't think I've noticed…"

"Eh? How so?" _She was right though._

"Is it about the dragon?"

"Well… Indirectly. But it's not that."

"Then, what is it?"

He let out a deep sigh, something that Elsa would've probably heard.

"Have you ever felt that feeling when you know you can't protect something you care about?"

After he said that, there was a pause in the divided area. The steam coming out of the water was the only thing that made noise that time.

_I think she knows what I'm talking about. _He thought

Soon after, Erik heard Elsa wading in the pool. He envisioned her moving around the pool.

"You know, there's this one time that I felt I wasn't strong enough to protect someone. And the guilt followed from then on…" She paused, then continued. "It's not like I know the person. Actually, I didn't even know him at all. It was just… It was wrong… What they did to him…"

"So… This man… What happened to him?"

"He died… Right in front of me." She sniffed.

He shouldn't have asked such a selfish question. He didn't know there were also things that troubled her. He thought of Elsa as a happy person, so full of brightness that sometimes glows on her beauty. But now, he felt embarrassed.

"I shouldn't have asked that… Sorry." He finally said out loud.

"No, it's alright." Erik heard a splash across the wall. She probably moved her hands to wipe off those tears he imagined she created.

"I'm going to suit up now. I guess you'll be staying at the bath longer?" Erik hovered upwards from the pool.

"Yes. I won't be getting up until Lydia can find me an outfit to wear… In the meantime."

"Ok, see you at the tavern later?"

"Yes. I'll see you later."

* * *

She heard him going out of the bath.

She wrapped her arms in her legs. She felt a slight pang in her chest, a pain that somehow cannot be removed. It hurt, she didn't know why.

_Was it because of that man? Was it Erik? Or Alvring?_

She didn't know. All she knew was it left her weary every time she tried to think about it. She never wanted to remember, but her mind keeps on reminding her on how cruel the world is and she never wanted to live on it.

"Gods, what's taking Lydia so long?" She sobbed as she tried to entertain herself with a witty joke. Only to herself. No one was around to hear her laugh, which makes everything all the lonelier. She again, wiped the tears away, but somehow, more kept coming.

_Maybe the feeling of letting it all out what was kept secret for a long time made me like this. _

In the end, she got herself up. She had been staying there for too long. Too much steam bathing will vaporize your skin. Elsa stayed outside the pool and nestled along the ground for about half an hour until Lydia finally showed up with some towel and clothing.

"Sorry it took long, I don't have any garments available, and what I have are light armors that only fits for me." She held out her clothing. "Good thing you went out of the steam bath too."

"Thank you." She wrapped herself in towel, heading towards the door. When she was about to push the door, she felt hesitant. She only faced the door and looked down. "… Is Erik still in the house?"

"No, He left moments ago. He said that he'll go visit some landmarks located in town."

"Ah I see." Elsa felt confident, she turned and faced Lydia. She then smiled. "Thanks again for the bath."

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"To find Erik."

* * *

_Dragonsreach_

Dragonsreach was filled with guards, maids and that made the place ever so busy.

"Ah, Dragonborn, what brings you to my humble abode?" The Jarl of Whiterun slouched at his throne, an arm holding out his chin. "Is this about the letter you sent me?"

"Yes, Jarl Balgruuf." He bowed in front of the Jarl, to show sign of respect. "It is time."

"Hmm. Creating a trap for a dragon would surely prove difficult. But if it's the way to completely rid of these filthy beasts, then we shall pool every resource we have into repairing the trap."

"I would be most humbled."

"Nonsense. It's the least I can do for helping me defend my kingdom against the Stormcloaks."

Yes. Alvring met Ulfric, way back in Helgen, way back when the rumours of a dragon attack was spread throughout the kingdom. Yes. He also joined the rebels in an attempt to escape out of Helgen. It was then in Riverwood that Ralof recommended him into joining the Stormcloaks' banner.

After the dragon sighting on Whiterun, and his training with the Greybeards did he went to Windhelm and initially joined. Whilst there he saw the truth. Ulfric was never meant to rule all of Skyrim. He only thought about Nordic race. He enlisted a ban on Argonians to enter the Hold itself and Dunmer people sleep in the harbour at night. It was a prejudiced system, one that Alvring couldn't take. Sure, he was a Nord too, but he thought everyone as equals and can earn a right to live anywhere they desire.

Then the quest for the fabled Jagged Crown came. Once Galmar Stone-fist (Ulfric's second-in-command) entrusted him with the crown, he betrayed them for the greater good. Instead of bringing the crown to Windhelm, he went straight to Solitude.

Right then and there, he was instituted as a Legionnaire.

"I was merely attaining peace and balance over the country. Ulfric is blind to see the larger scale at hand."

_Even though I already met him, I knew he had a strong sense of idealism. But the more I saw, the more wisdom I received. Then I had to enforce the peace treaty after the many threats of attack from Whiterun. _

His silence was broken when Balgruuf replied.

"In any reason you deem fit, I'd gladly repay the favour. But this is going to take some time, It's going to take days, weeks, or even months if we aren't fast enough."

Alvring nodded, but he was in deep regret. The longer he prolonged, the stronger Alduin becomes. It was only a matter of time before Alduin becomes all the stronger and completely consumes the world. His fate was now sealed…

"Ok then, I'll send you a courier when it is finished. Come, let us feast on the banquet. I believe you have something else in mind?" He looked at the purse coin and some papers. Trivial business. His other intention was only to expand Breezehome some more.

* * *

_The Bannered Mare_

Later that night, a lot of people gathered in the Bannered Mare, the one and only tavern in Whiterun.

Elsa couldn't find Erik. She ventured within the marketplace, the other districts, even tried looking at Skyforge, but he wasn't there. She became worried. But at least she knows he'll come back here, to spend the night away.

Unlike the Frostfruit inn, this tavern had a bard; a very irritating one. Of course, the bard took sight of the lonely Elsa, and tried to sweet-tune the lady. His harp played love songs and every start of a new song, he dedicated it unto her.

No sooner it started to grow on her nerves, but she quieted and sipped her drink. More of the crowds laughed at the mere sight of the bard's pathetic attempt to lull her. It was then that the bard approached her and tried to woo her. The crowd lent out a boisterous howl as they called out "_milk-drinker" _or something along the lines of that.

"Hey there miss."

She waved a hand to signify not continuing anymore than to what he said. It was more than trouble enough. She went there to have a sip and enjoy some time alone as she tried to gather her thoughts together, but with this insipid person trying to seduce her, thinking that he could have one night of her alone, he's thinking wrong.

"Stop what you're doing. I'm sorry, I need to be alone." She did not look at her.

"Come now…" He gently touched her shoulders. This made her almost snap. With every ounce of concentration she tried not to incinerate him then and there. If this wasn't a public place she would've flayed his body alive. Alas, she didn't. She shrugged his arm off, resenting his very presence.

"Wow. Denial, eh?"

"Hey kid." A voiced ringed her ear. It sounded like Alvring's but it was in a darker tone. She finally looked behind to see a towering figure with wolfish appearance staring icily at the young bard.

"I don't know about you, but I'd better leave her alone. She already asked for it."

Intimidated, the bard backed away, cowering in fear. He covered a laugh when the bard went out the doors. Then he looked at Elsa.

_Great. Now this person._ Elsa thought.

"I'm not much of a smart person, but I knew he was asking for trouble. I'm Farkas by the way." He lent out a hand for a greeting. He was a very big person. In standards, he was far broader and fibrous than Alvring, and miles to Erik's.

"Elsa." She didn't shook the hand, still feeling that sense of distrust over him. She took a sip to her drink.

"Sorry, I just don't like people manhandling a fair maiden like yourself."

"I appreciate the thought, but I can take care of myself."

"Elsa." A voice called over to her. Both of them looked behind seeing the redhead approaching.

Farkas walled up behind her, crossing his arms. Erik stopped and looked at the towering man. He seemed intimidated, backing out slowly.

"Is this another one? At least he doesn't look like a milk-drinker like before." He taunted.

"No, he's not! Erik!" She curved her way through Farkas and ran. She hugged him the moment she got close. "I was worried."

"I went outside the walls, I'm sorry if I worried you." He looked at her, then stared at the black-haired Nord. He whispered: "I'm worrying that you always bump into big people like him."

She chuckled a bit, realizing that he got a little jealous. But she noticed he never complained about Alvring. She didn't thought of it.

"Don't worry, I won't exchange you for the biggest and burliest man I know. And I'm sure you can charm me anytime you like." She made a sly smile.

Erik will never get what she was saying. She was only glad that her worries burned down as she complemented on their relationship. Sure they didn't have those leisurely strolls anymore, nor those days where they just sit under a tree and look over the horizon, but their feelings for each other remained steady.

"Don't worry Farkas, I'll be fine from now on." She waved to shoo Farkas off, and he did leave them. They approached on an empty table "Come, sit down."

Moments after they started chatting with each other, mostly on normal stuff. They even mentioned some of the funny feeling they had when they started taking a bath together. They didn't get to the topic to which Elsa felt sad, so Erik wanted to dismiss the conversation early and started a new one.

"So, what was that all about?" He slouched as he pointed Farkas with his thumb.

"Oh, some annoying guy tried to use his charms on me." Erik's eyes opened wide, telling something that someone was willing to take her away from him. She tried to ensure him. "And it failed, miserably." She hovered to her left to have a look-see on the burly Nord. "Farkas over there took care of it."

"Goodness, did the guy die?"

"Divines. No! He left the tavern a couple of minutes before you arrived. He was crying and I think he was about to pee on his pants." She laughed, which was followed by Erik's. A few moments later the laughter slowly faded, they both stared at each other's eyes. Both of them smiled.

"It's nice to see your face look so happy." Erik said. Elsa just blushed and circled her fingers on the tip of the mug.

Elsa looked at him. There was innocence and purity flowing with him, but she felt something was not right. His eyes show dreams of living together 'till the end of days, but somewhere deep inside, something was bothering him. She wanted to ask, but something made her believe that it wasn't the perfect time to ask for it. She just replied back with a smile too.

Secrets: It is one of the most precious things a person has. Believing that secrets kept the ebb and flow of the person's life, it became a strong standing pillar of one's personality. There are secrets that are meant to kept for an eternity, there are that was meant to be told. If this was to be told, then consequences are sure to follow. It can be one of those things that will still keep the flow of your life, but it can also be one of those that will disrupt it entirely. With one push of a button, it can turn your life upside down.

Elsa didn't want that. Of course, whatever happened to him, she will accept it whole-heartedly. Whatever troubles he had, she was willing to accept that burden and help him solve it.

They continued on chatting a bit more.

* * *

The door slammed open.

The crowd let out a big welcome shout at the entering person.

"The Dragonborn is here!"

"Legends be true!"

"I have dreamt of this day all my life!"

Crowds were murmuring and clapping and whistling as if a legendary icon arrived. Well, he is a legendary icon.

It was a couple of hours when Erik and Elsa stayed in the tavern, they were waiting for Alvring for a couple of drinks that he promised, but it would seem that he had already gone too much.

His cheeks pulsed red as he wobbled and stumbled through the aisle.

"Ah! Farkas! How's my favourite Companion holding up?" Alvring bellowed.

"I'm already at my seventh and I'm still sober." Farkas replied. His cheeks were also red, probably also blinded by the thought that he was indeed already drunk.

He grabbed his arm, symbolizing a welcoming greeting from the infamous Companions.

_At least they're still sober to determine what body parts they should be holding up._ Elsa chuckled at her own thought.

"Well, I better ask Lydia for help. Who knows, maybe you'll get drunk too and carry you all the way home." She said.

"No need, I only drank three." Erik explained, but he too was feeling perplexed already. "Do you need me to accompany you? I know it's not that quite far… But just to be safe." He had that little worry on his eyes that Elsa couldn't resist. But she knows he's enjoying his mead and frankly, no one messes between men and their mead, particularly women.

"It'll only be a short while; I'll come back in less than an hour if you really feel that anxious."

Elsa left the tavern, some men were exchanging glances at the figure moving outside, then whistled, then eventually laughed. As the door closed, Alvring caught the eye of Erik; then approached him.

"Ain't she a beauty?"

Erik wide-eyed.

_You know what goes on between us right? I even told you everything, remember?_ Erik thought. He felt something in his chest, an urge. Something that he really wanted to speak up but never had the chance to say. He didn't pay heed at the moment, since his patience was still plenty.

"Yes… Yes she is."

"Would be a shame if she lets go of you."

"What do you mean by that?" He clenched his fists, fighting not to be intimidated by the mockery.

"What I mean is: She knows what she's capable of. Even disproved me wrong when I first thought of her as a mere woman." Alvring explained.

"She does like to surprise people." Erik replied. He remembered the time back at Soljund's where she suddenly jumped and proposed a deal with the miners that then and there.

"And a woman like her, she needs to be protected..."

For a slight moment, Erik couldn't agree more. His heart fluttered as he thought of her. Elsa takes the whole sweetroll. She was beautiful, smart, decisive and strong, even willing to put her life at risk in front of others. She was an ideal woman any adventurer will partner up with, and eventually live the rest of their lives together.

"But I wonder why she chose you."

"What?"

After that moment, his mind snapped.

_What, don't you think I deserve her? She chose me. She didn't chose you. _

"You're clearly drunk, let us not speak of this." He dismissed Alvring's accusation, willing to forgive his atrociousness.

"Oh, but I am not drunk."

Erik slammed his fists unto the table, attracting the attention of fellow settlers in the inn. The conversation and laughter across the halls all turned to silence the moment Erik let out his frustration against Alvring.

"You are delusional. Elsa chose me. It is not a mistake."

"But what if it is?"

_What's gotten into him? Why would he do this to me? _

He slammed the table again, feeling infuriated.

"Damn you!"

"You're getting on my nerves, kid." Alvring clenched his fists. In his drunken state, the ringing sensation gave him a headache.

"And I to you."

They both paused. The whole tavern itself was in awkward silence. Some were murmuring and sending whispers to each other. The air was filled with tension. Both men were staring icily to each other, also not saying a word. The tension stayed for at least half a minute, until Alvring finally said:

"Practice session. Meet me at Jorrvaskr's training ground. I assume you know where it is?"

_Practice session. This isn't some practice. This is a duel. I don't want Elsa to be the prize of this. But I am a Nord, and I will fight for what's rightfully mine…_

Erik's thoughts seemed hesitant. Something in him wanted to back off, and the whole reason was pretty much unknown to him. But he couldn't do that to her. Anything but her. Ever since that day, that fateful day, he knew he never wanted any other. Only her. Only Elsa.

"Yes."

* * *

**A/N : Whoo! Even I felt the tension between those two. Will they ever resolve this conflict? xD**

**Reviews/Messages are always welcomed!**

**I'll update some previous chapters as well (only grammar intonations and fragments, nothing major). **


	15. Secrets: Part 2

**A/N: Got delayed a bit but nevertheless I have one for you guys this week! :3**

**It's quite hot-off-the-press work and I'm gonna leave soon for the holidays. (No laptop to bring so I can't continue my work) **

**Also, quite a short chapter, but still containing a major plotline in the story. **

**Enjoy! ~**

* * *

As soon as the two men left the tavern, many came shadowing after them. Heavy footsteps thumped the ground, creating tension as the two head over Jorrvaskr's training grounds.

"Can this kid really beat the man of legends?"

"I don't know about you, but I bet a hundred on the dragonborn."

"Here here."

"This kid is mad."

Many were whispering and spreading gossip, typical the townsfolk were. In any case, Erik did not heed anything at all. He just stared straight ahead, not even putting an eye on Alvring. He marched forward, clenching his fists. His sense of confusion was caused by his betrayal and anger. He didn't know if Alvring was just too drunk or too power-hungry to take what was not his.

_But what If I can't beat him? It is all too impossible…_

His thoughts circled around. Yes, Alvring IS the legendary Dragonborn. It had taken him almost two years for that lengthy training of the sword. Erik was just barely starting. His years were also far from him, which includes areas of wisdom and intelligence, which Erik lacks in his age. He was also strayed from adventuring until now, so chances are incredibly slim…

_No. _Erik thought. He wasn't like that. Not like that anymore. He wanted to reach that same sky Elsa was in. He doesn't want to be pulled from the ground anymore. He will fight. Fight for her, even if the risks are high and the chances are low…

_Anything. Anything for her._

From his tunic pockets, he shoved a hand inside it, grabbing an important object within, which Alvring would obviously not see. He stared at the brightly lit moon, no clouds in sight. Countless stars were sprawled at the sky, twinkling as they stared down to him.

* * *

The Jorrvaskr grounds was gaining view. He braved the dozen steps, and as soon as he reached the top, he saw a woman, clad in leather. Her face was marked with green streaks to hide her face. She was leaning at the wall, as if waiting for someone.

To her surprise, she didn't expect a crowd of people gathering at the entrance.

Farkas (who was currently) accompanying them so that they have the permission to use the training grounds) approached the woman, giving the Companion handshake.

"Farkas! Goodness, what have you done this time?" She looked over his shoulders (she tried to tiptoe) and saw the large number of people, in front of them were two men, carrying their own torchlights. One of them was her friend, the Dragonborn.

"Aela, I need to use the back."

"What for?" She replied quizzically

"Something important." He tried to hide the secret, but obviously, his dumb look gave everything away.

"At this late an hour?"

"Consider this as a return from the favour you asked a while back." He blatantly said.

Aela thought for a moment, no word resounded. Even the crowd themselves weren't murmuring.

"Ok. But we have to take care of these civilians. They are in on this thing here right?" She waved her pointing finger to them.

"Yes." Farkas replied without a moment's notice.

"Okay, I'll go wake up the others. Debt repaid, Farkas." She turned and headed inside Jorrvaskr. Just before she went inside, she turned her head. "I sure hope you know what you're doing between them."

* * *

The Companions were a brawny lot. Of course, Farkas was the brawniest of them all. Erik paid attention to only a few of them. There was this person who almost looked like Farkas too, but he was much skinnier. There, Erik also saw Aela, another female Nord and a Dunmer too. They were keeping the crowd at bay.

Erik seemed to hesitate at first, but Farkas gave him a steel sword, so did Alvring. It was no practice sword anymore, they were in it to win it.

"Just make sure no one gets seriously hurt. We don't one anyone's body and blood sweeping off the floor." He continued. "Remember. This is only a sparring match hosted by the people of Jorrva-"

"I already know everything Farkas, you don't have to explain it to me." Alvring didn't look; he was only caressing his sword, getting the feel and the grip.

"For Elsa…" Erik whispered as he steadied his grip.

"Ready?" Farkas then lashed out his hand downwards.

Alvring still proved his blade to be unfaulty, as his sword flashes were blindingly fast. Erik was only barely to keep up with his parries. There were no shields to block an entire fatal blow, but seemingly, Alvring wasn't using his best yet. Alvring's eyes were all focused to Erik's but his was looking at the sword's deadly attacks.

Alvring didn't seem fazed at all. Aela chanced a glance whilst letting the people off Jorrvaskr, looking impressed at both the men's swordsmanship.

"Good swordsmandship. You're getting better the last time we fought." Alvring was honestly complementing Erik, but due to blind rage, Erik doesn't want to respond.

In actuality, Erik was getting better. Even if he blocked all of his attacks, he managed to do some counters that surprised Alvring. But Erik grew tired; He wasn't able to cope up with his stamina.

"What makes you think you can protect her?" He didn't even break a sweat. It was clear that he wasn't tired at all from the early minutes of combat. He was treating this like an actual sparring match (even though it really is).

"I can! _*huff*_ Even though my strength is not enough now _*huff* _but when I do, I'll do what it takes 'till then!" His last words were pure rage as he swung his sword wildly, only awkwardly parried by the skilful Alvring.

"When will that day come? What if during those days, you weren't able to protect her? What will happen until then?" His sword flashes weren't still faltering; He was capable of moving at great pace even though he was bigger than Erik.

Erik wide-eyed. He never struck that thought before. With Erik distracted, Alvring lunged. Erik barely parrying what soon to be his last block. Their blades clanged as they met each other. Alvring was push through, Erik barely holding it on.

"I can. I can protect her right here, right now. I can protect her tomorrow, the day after that. The rest of my life, I can." His eyes pierced right through Erik's, which was engulfed with fear.

Erik was not about to give up. He tried with sheer force to push him away.

"I… I-can.."

"Can what?" Alvring strength didn't waver.

"I-I-c-c-an…"

"CAN WHAT, WHELP!?" Alvring pushed harder, his systems were now peaking. Erik can't hold his ground anymore.

"I…I…"

At this very moment Erik lost all hope. Alvring was right. He was too weak. He was only a simple farmer anyways, only dreaming of adventure like how the bards told them. Just like how the sky treated him before and today, his fate has yielded its purpose. As Erik couldn't hold of anymore, he dropped down into the ground, collapsing from exhaustion. The sword he carried fell down from his grip and clanged on the floor.

"I can't…"

The match was over. Erik had lost.

* * *

Alvring stared down to his opponent. His systems already filtered out his drunken state (way before the match even started), and he already knew the fate that had befallen him.

"I love her… I love her too." This was his first time confessing his feelings for Elsa. His secret now revealed as well. Erik bared no response. He was only looking at the ground. Judging from his eyes, it appeared that he loathed it for some reason. He reached out his hand, he wanted to carry him from the ground, but still he stared blankly. It only took a couple of seconds until he replied again.

"I can't…"

It was until then when Farkas entered into the fray and actually pulled Erik from his state. He patted hardly on his back, actually congratulating him from a great match. He told him that even though the match was practically one-sided (he put it out blatantly, figures from someone like Farkas to mention), he put on a good fight. He even recommended him from joining the Companions. But nothing averted from Erik's blank stare.

"I should go…" Erik finally said. There was a slight pause in his words while he trotted off into the observing crowd. "…I'll be staying at the inn tonight, if it's alright." He didn't turn or even looked at Alvring.

"Yes, we'll be picking up your equipment when Skyforge is open." Alvring replied, as if nothing happened between them.

As Erik went off, he picked up his sword and Erik's, and gave it to Farkas. He had sensed contempt from himself. He felt selfish. He always knew that this will end up sooner or later. And he picked sooner. Erik was a good man. Alvring only had to do what was the most logical thing to do (at least, for his sake).

"I may not be the smartest of all people, but I get the feeling you're worried at what just happened."

Alvring let out a short chuckle. "You're right there, big guy." He gave the two swords to him.

"Well alright. I don't want to pry anymore with those problems of yours. 'Cause I know it'll lead me again to lots of trouble."

"Heh. Well yeah. Just like the old times." They both laughed a little.

Farkas became the dragonborn's follower as well. It was short (around two months) about a certain quest. Because of Farkas' dim-wittedness, he was always placed as an object of decoy, trap setter, even Alvring's human wall at least twice.

They reminisced their past a few more moments until Aela approached them. They did not notice her after a few short laughs.

"The people are already gone. They missed one hell of a fight." She folded her arms, her hips protruding on one side.

"You saw?"

"Yeah, Vilkas saw some of the action as well." She pointed at Vilkas at the back. "They're going back to sleep now. And hey…" Aela strided near Farkas. "favor paid."

* * *

_The Bannered Mare_

Erik returned, his palest he could be. His hands were shaking a bit. As he drank his last mug for the day, Elsa returned with Lydia.

"Sorry it took us a solid hour to get back. I had to find Lydia because she wasn't in Breezehome when I got there."

"Sorry, I've been snooping around a bit." Lydia apologized with a humble bow, to which Elsa replied with a chuckle.

"Hey Erik, where's Alvring? Wait, I'll guess, he's already passed out behind the meadery?" She gave out a slight laugh but Erik didn't seem happy at all. She sat down across Erik and felt surprised. She must've noticed Erik's blunt marks.

"Erik! What happened?"

"…" No response. He looked away, as if scared from looking at her face. The face he longed, but cannot hold right now.

"Hey, hey. Is there something wrong?" Elsa placed a hand on his cheeks. The warmth resided in his face and it felt like time had slowed down the moment she put her hand on his face. Erik held her hand and pulled it away from his face, landing it softly on the table. He gripped it firmly.

The way he gripped it, it was very icy. It felt warm on the outside, but there was this coldness and void resonating from it, to which Elsa felt afraid of. But she continued holding it.

"…I…"

"What?"

He breathed. Slowly, Erik lifted his head to face her. There were courage and fear circling in his eyes.

"Remember the Dragon attack?" He paused, as if waiting for a reply. But Elsa said nothing and made him continue "that moment where the Dragon breathe fire and there was nothing I could do…"

"Alvring did nothing too. I mean really, I did fine back then—"

"Please let me finish." Erik protested as he waved his hand in front of her. He gripped her hand very firmly.

"I couldn't protect you. I don't know… But I hesitated. I didn't take the risk…" He stopped, then continued. "But Alvring, he gave it his all, unafraid that the dragon will take his life away in order to make you safe—"

"I don't need saving Erik. I could do well on my own. You of all people should know that." Elsa interrupted him.

"But what if something like that happened again? What if Alvring is not with us anymore and another Dragon attacked us? What will happen until then, huh?"

Elsa was of course, at a loss. She didn't want to say anything. She believed no one is safe when a Dragon attacks. Only the Dragonborn can make sure that everyone can sleep at night with a hope that someday, all evil will be rid off from them.

"Sometimes I question the reason why you wanted me to go with you..." She scorned.

"I—"

"I thought we're in this together, no matter how much the risk we'll take?" She interrupted him again.

This time, Erik was the one who was loss for words. He wanted to change to a relevant topic but none came out of his mind. He couldn't bring up the fight, it would make the situation all the worse. He couldn't tell Elsa about Alvring also because it was not in his right to do so.

Lydia didn't want to hear anymore of this so she decided to leave them. Elsa cued in and wanted to leave too. She was about to stand up until Erik stopped him.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"Do you want us to continue this conversation?"

"No…Yes…" He was unsure.

"Make up your damn mind Erik, you're not a child anymore."

"I…" He paused.

She stood up, not taking any more from Erik's naivety. He was indeed acting like a child, unable to fight on for words.

"I don't want to end this… But there's a lot going on right now. I don't think we can do this… yet."

Elsa wide-eyed. Her shock gave her utter confusion. Her emotions was distraught but showing no sign on her face. She was trying to clear up what he had said.

"Are you saying we shouldn't do this anymore?"

"Not now… But soon again. At least I'll have an answer after Alvring decided my training is finished." He looked away.

She approached Erik, trying not to urge a tear, but her eyes were already twinkling with wetness. She cupped a hand on his cheek again but he tried not to look at her. His ruggedness flowed softly into Elsa's hands. He felt the same sensation back when Elsa tried to heal him.

"Erik, what had really happened?" Was all she could muster up; It was semi-random question, but she couldn't fight between logic and her heart anymore.

"…"

He didn't reply. Only blankness filled his mellow eyes.

Tears flowed on Elsa's face from that point on. She broke down. She covered her mouth to avoid moping loudly, and hurriedly left the inn.

* * *

**A/N: Annnddddd drama bomb. **

**Reviews? Comments? Messages? Feel free to do so. Big hugs to my viewers as well :D**

** As I've said, I'll be out for the holidays. Happy Halloween , All Saints/Souls Day, Holidays everyone! :)**


	16. Resolution

**A/N : Classes about to resume soon, but I'll update regularly (same 1 week, 1 chapter bit). Also chapter title says it all.**

**Enjoy reading! ~  
**

* * *

It had been weeks ever since that day on Whiterun. During the past few days that they stayed there, rumors have been spread about a young lad fighting the fabled Drabonborn. It was shortly after that they figured out that they've been fighting for a lass they also accompany in their travel group. No sooner (in order to relieve the issue at hand over the townsfolk), the Companions quelled the rumors. They made up some sort of story about bad blood and settling scores. And the townsfolk were gullible enough to believe it.

Of course the former was actually the true one. Alvring and Erik fought over for their own possession of Elsa, to which she soon detested after discovering their reason for fighting. This made her more disappointed for Alvring and heartbroken for Erik…

_Erik._

They still haven't spoken with each other about — _this._ Were they really have fallen apart? Her heart burst each time she tried to think of this. If only she could talk to him…

But Elsa thought there was never a time for any form of discussion at all, and she'll just wait until Erik finishes with his training. Awkwardly, Alvring still pursued Erik's training even if they really do have bad blood on each other. They barely talked, and the only time Alvring spoke was when he was giving out pointers on swordsmanship. Erik only gestured a nod and continued on.

Alvring already confessed that he was completely sober that time and his words were true. He also confessed that he loved Elsa, and was already sorry by the time she discovered their ruse.

"How could you be such a dunce, Alvring. I expected more of you." She said.

Her last parting words before she never spoke to him up until this day. Of course Elsa would be mad. What they did to her being acted like some sort of trophy was inconsiderate. And they paid the price. Heavily.

Erik was too naïve into thinking that Elsa would be the one approaching him. It was, after all, his fault for falling for Alvring's words. He never realized it by his own. Not before. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

A few days after they headed back again to Rorikstead. Their only objective was to return to Mralki to see the results and leave shortly after.

The trip wasn't dangerous. Thank the divines they didn't encounter another dragon. But there were a few ambushes from bandits, which were easily taken care of even if their teamwork is quite shaky.

"Once we get there, I don't want Mralki thinking that we are already a messed group." Elsa iterated when they were walking along the road.

Erik and Alvring nodded in response. At least, they have to make it look like they're enjoying each other's company rather than having distractions.

Elsa was making the three pillars the very least bit stable. Even if they were mad at them, she's still a woman who's capable of emotions. She still loved Erik. She wanted to be with him again. She missed nuzzling herself in Erik's lap. She missed curling against his chest and smelling the early harvest of wheat (but when they started adventuring, it now smelled of sweet mountain flowers Erik used to pick for her). The way he laughed. The way he rubs his soft-flowing crimson hair when he's embarrassed…

He probably missed her too.

It was shortly after her thoughts fluttered about, that they reached Rorikstead.

They didn't stay there for very long, only just one night at Frostfruit Inn. Then in the morning they have to pack up again and leave to visit an ancient Falmer ruin that was marked on Alvring's map. There were a few drinks here and there, enjoying themselves as much as they can, all for Mralki's sake. No different from the one they hid from her. But at least, this was actually for Mralki.

That night was the first time they talked to each other. They didn't talk about the incident. They just shared stories, even their first ever dragon fight, and laughs as they drank their mugs 'till empty.

Elsa missed those smiles. Even everything they did was all an attempt to hide themselves from each other, there were unspeakable truths hidden beneath within all of them…

They missed each other.

Elsa soon realized this. That faint glint from Alvring's hazy brown eyes, He longed for moments like this.

And also that smile from Erik that used to say that he was enjoying, She knew he missed this also.

Everything that she saw, she went teary-eyed, Happy.

Of course, concern came from the three men and asked what was wrong.

"Nothing." She smiled, trying to rub off those wet tears that were coming from hers. After weeks of gruelling silence and bad tension from each other, it seemed as though the ruse they did never was what they intended. They wanted to be friends again, or at least, someone they can talk to that they know there won't be any awkwardness between them.

* * *

_Night at the Frostfruit Inn_

It was past midnight that time. Crickets were lulling amongst the grass, cold winds starting to spur. Elsa woke up in the cold of night. She flicked a candle with a little ignition. It glimmered a faint light. She opened the door to her room, only to find out another candle was lit on the far end of the tavern.

She saw Alvring drinking something hot, vapor coming out of the mug.

"Can't sleep?" Alvring turned around to fix his gaze unto Elsa.

"It was cold." She rubbed her arms with heat.

She was wearing a slick silk flowing dress, perfect for any cold night to endure. It was already nearing springtime but the cold winter winds seemed to linger some more. She reached under an empty cup under the cupboards of Mralki's and then decided to sit near Alvring, making herself comfortable, at the very least. Light footsteps crept unto the floor. It was icy cold. Every step she took sent shivers and raised her skin.

"Here, have some tea. It's quite hot." He reached for the heated kettle and poured on her mug.

"Thank you." She gently sipped her drink. As the water poured down from her throat, warmth enveloped her body.

It took a few gentle sighs from Elsa until Alvring decided to speak.

"I enjoyed last night's drink." He contemplated. He circled his index on the tip of the mug.

"Me too." She gave a smile.

Silence started to well up again. Interval rhythm of their breaths were the only sound being made. The sound started to ring, and it made it all the worse.

"Listen…" Alvring was about to utter his speech until Elsa waved her hand.

"Whatever you're planning to say, don't say it…" She said. Alvring was again about to contest, only to be turned down when Elsa placed a finger on his lip. "I'm not done. Look, what's done is done, okay? I already forgive you for what you've done to Erik," She stopped and contemplated for a while. "No hard feelings. I appreciate the thought also," She pointed to his face, hers was torn with hatred. "But don't you ever do that again."

Alvring was loss for words. It took a couple of steady thinking until he could come up with something to say.

"I… never intended to do that. It was Erik. But you…" He didn't want to continue, but he had to. "Your beauty, I was blinded by it. It led me astray." He strides closer, mere inches of distance from their faces. His eyes fixed to hers." I promise you. I swear on my blood, that I will never hurt you like that again."

Her face turned away, slight red pulsating on her cheeks.

"Alvring, I can't—" She gently, ever so gently, pushed him away.

"I know I have wronged so much in my life, this included. I forgot to look the other way and see how much pain I caused. But you. You I have failed most." He held her hands tight, but not too much as if to crush her.

She was trying to hold her tears away. But she never knew he could be so apologetic and caring for her. He was indeed… A romantic.

Her hand shuffled away from his. She didn't want any of this. Divines, she still cares for Erik. She still loves him. Her mind cannot be flayed by the thought of another person that deserved her love.

"I know that you still carry the burden of sorrow. But I'm here. To serve. To protect. To understand... To care… At least as a friend." He was almost shaking when he didn't hear any response. He faced down, and held a hand on her shoulders. "…Please."

She clasped his hand and pulled him closer. His face looked up into hers. Moonlight pierced through the thatched roof, making her appear like an angel. Tears welled up her eyes, but it did not flow down. She placed his hand on her lap.

"You are very noble, Alvring…"

Unwillingly, Alvring lifted his hand to gently scrape the tears from her eyes. She didn't stop him. She needed the comfort. A comfort to share her sorrows that he mentioned. She held his hand close, feeling the warmth of his ruggedness. She saw him staring at her in awe, eyes glistening. There was something, something that made her lean closer. Something she didn't know. She placed her head to his chest, feeling the need for his presence.

They lay like that for a couple of minutes, and then Alvring prodded her up.

"I don't want Erik seeing us like this. I told you, I don't want to cause any more tension between any of us."

"Ah— I'm sorry, I got carried away." She sniffed then chuckled. She ruffled his shirt to remove the folds she made and brushed some of the tears that soiled in it.

"Go back to sleep. You need rest." He said.

"But what about you?"

"You need the rest more than I do. Don't worry. I'll be here if you need anything."

Elsa nodded. She felt better. More than better. After days of solitude of her own thoughts and feelings, she needed this burst. Though honestly, it could've gone better if Erik was the one she rested. But there'll be a time for that. She was sure.

She paced towards her room. Just as she was about to trickle her candle and closed the door, she whispered.

"Good night."

* * *

Morning dews began to appear. The sun was already up, radiating heat as it should be. The winds of the cold night had dispersed. Civilians started to do their everyday routine. Cows were herded to the meadows for them to eat. Not many were up and about, but the usual farmers were already awake, like Ennis and Lemkil.

Prior the events of the evening, she had a nice rest. It was good to feel happy again, smiling that usual smile of hers every morning she tried to view the people from the inn's porch.

She was already dressed up in her robes, already prepared to march on to whatever next destination Alvring has in store for them. She felt confident. There was no more tension (or at least between her and Alvring) so her wits were carefree.

She crossed her arms and bent down to the wooden rails, enjoying the nice view.

The door to the Inn opened, and she tilted her head.

"Morning."

Erik greeted her shyly. He clad an iron set of armour. He didn't have any arm plates so his muscles constricted with the tightness of the suit. It cost a lot of ingots and leather strips to make the complete set, but the amount Alvring donated was just the right amount they needed to form it. It didn't clang like Alvring's ebony set. It was lightly tailored to suit the battle-style Erik had.

"Morning to you as well." She smiled, also fixing his gaze on Erik's new attire. "Nice. It's the first time I've seen you wear that."

"Heh. I wanted to wait until I can show it to my father." He blushed. But then, after a few short moments, he smiled.

He noticed. This was the first time she'd talk casually with him after the _incident_. She never brought up a smile like that in ages. It made him feel light-hearted, seeing her like that. Seeing something he'd missed for quite a while.

"So, are we good?" he said. He joined in her position and bent towards the railings as well.

She did not reply immediately. She had a sad smile. She looked to the road and didn't waiver. She then fixed her gaze unto him.

"No, I guess we're not. But Erik, I still want this to happen. I don't want to give up just yet. I can wait, until your training is done." Her expression never faltered. Her brain was sending other messages. Guilt, doubt, contempt. But at least she poured out the right ones and followed her heart.

"I still want this too Elsa. More than anything. I guess I was too dumb to realize back when I said those things to you…"

"But you wanted to make sure that you really can protect me right? Even though I can on my own." She joked.

_Ok now's not the time to make fun. But I guess this was conversation for me._ She thought

He chukled. "Yes." But he made a serious face afterwards. "So this. Us. It has to wait. Just a little while longer. Or just until I can come up with the straight decision on my own."

"I understand."

They both smiled, just until they both chuckled and laugh with no reason.

"Gods, Elsa. It never crossed my mind that you would be taking everything lightly." He combed out a hair that was hanging right in front of her face. "Did something happen last night?"

"Everything happened last night." She replied. Of course, she didn't want him to know about what happened when she woke up, in the middle of the night, enjoying her cup of warm tea from the freezing cold, then came bursting with all sorts of emotions she bottled up. It would throw him in another emotional fit, and she doesn't want that.

But she did enjoy last night. It was vague to remember. The drinks. The stories. Everything. But it was fun. And she enjoyed it like many nights before they went to Whiterun.

"Are we all set?"

Alvring came out the other side of the door, clad in his ebony attire. It clanked heavily as he walked towards them, holding his helmet in his waist.

Both of them recovered in a standing position, looked at each other, then back to him, then nodded in unison.

"Okay then. Let's head out."

* * *

"Wait!"

The three tilted their heads to see who was catching along with them. It was Mralki.

Elsa wide-eyed when she saw the long cloth that was strapped behind Mralki's back. She was curious to where this was going as she faced Erik's confused look unto his father.

Mralki was trying to catch his breath. The landscape of Rorikstead was already but a distance, and they started walking for almost ten full minutes. It was incredible for Mralki to be catching up with them.

"What is it?" Erik said, still garnering that confused and concerned look on his face.

"I forgot to give you this."

Mralki pulled out the long cloth and began to slowly unfold it. Much to Erik's surprise, it revealed the fabled silver glass bow that Mralki cherished in all among his weapon collection. It now glowed a very faint red light, indicating it has some sort of magical properties (much to Erik's perspective).

"This, my son, is Heartseeker. Its precision never faltered, it even stood through the test of time. Use it. Cherish it. It's now yours."

The bow glimmered as it bounced the light when Mralki gave him the sliver glass bow.

"Accept it also, as a token of apology, for every time that I strayed you from your desires. But you are a man now. You make your own decisions. And whatever they are, I will gladly accept them." He continued.

He hugged him tightly. He didn't force a tear. He was just… so proud of him right at that moment. Elsa was glad. Alvring was too.

"You don't need to apologize. You were only doing your duty as a father. And you did it well." Erik released the hug and patted his father on his shoulder. He strided back and went back to Elsa and Alvring.

And right at that moment, Erik was a full-fledged adventurer.

…

"Oh, Elsa. I have something for you too. It was marked urgent from the courier's priority list. I promise, I did not read any of the contents." He handed Elsa a white folded parchment.

Yes. The letter was sealed shut with magic. But that was not the only thing that made her tingle with concern. It was covered in hidden glyphs marking it, as Mralki had said, urgent.

She slowly opened the parchment, unsealing the magic binds that glued it together. She read the contents. Her face started to sweat as her eyes move from one side of the paper to the other. When she finished reading it, she covered her mouth in horror.

_Oh Divines no._

* * *

**A/N : Oh Divines no! Chapter got cut short! N'awww!**

**Excited? Elated? Hated? Please Review appropriately and accordingly. **

**Thanking all the readers and reviewers! Without you, I may not even finish this story myself :'D**

**Also, Secret arc has ended (My personal fave arc, thats why it has an arc title), and we're shipping into a new arc. Woooray! :D**


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